Washington Strikes Iranian Launch Positions on Larak Island in First Action in Weeks

Larak Island, situated just off the coast of Bandar Abbas, occupies a strategic position on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global maritime trade.

Currently, Iran is compelling tanker traffic to navigate past this island for inspection, reportedly demanding fees of up to $2 million (£1.5 million) from vessels seeking passage.

Hossein Mohebbi, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, condemned the strikes as a “strategic and fatal mistake by the Trump regime,” warning that “the enemy will face the consequences of this miscalculation in both the economic and military domains.”

Iran’s Tasnim news agency, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC, previously reported that the attack was executed using drones. The agency stated that the strike resulted in two fatalities and two injuries.

Last week, Trump stated that all mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran as part of its efforts to blockade the waterway had been detonated or removed. He stated that Iran had been warned any ship or boat deploying new mines would be destroyed.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed Trump’s assertion as a “propaganda” deception.

Tehran is facing intensified economic pressure after Washington announced a new sanctions campaign on August 24, aimed at further isolating Iran and expanding secondary sanctions against its allies.

Iranian officials and state media have largely dismissed the campaign as a continuation of prior US economic measures, arguing that these actions follow Washington’s military setbacks in the recent conflict.

The United States and Israel launched extensive strikes against Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate by targeting Israel, US bases, and allied Gulf states, while effectively shutting the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic. The conflict has now reached its six-month milestone.

Prior to the conflict, approximately 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transited through this vital waterway.

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