The United States has carried out its first known military strikes against Iran in more than a month, targeting two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command said the strikes were conducted after Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic waterway. The operation marked the first confirmed US military action against Iran since late July.
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for Central Command, said the action was intended to address what the US considered an imminent threat to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The American military described the operation as a “limited, precise” action against Iranian forces involved in mine-laying preparations.
The strikes broke several weeks of relative calm between Washington and Tehran after the two countries had exchanged attacks earlier in the conflict.
Iran quickly vowed retaliation, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps saying the US attack had caused casualties among Iranian military personnel and civilians.
Iranian state media later reported that the country launched ballistic missiles towards US military positions in Jordan in response to the American strikes.
Jordanian authorities said they intercepted eight missiles that entered the country's airspace and that the projectiles were neutralised before causing damage to civilians or property.
Iran also claimed that it had targeted US military personnel at a base in the United Arab Emirates and launched additional attacks in the region.
The latest exchange has raised fears that the fragile lull between the two countries could be coming to an end and that military confrontation could once again intensify across the Middle East.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the confrontation because of its importance to global energy supplies. Before the conflict disrupted shipping, the waterway carried a significant share of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
The US military said it had completed clearing sea mines from international shipping routes in the strait shortly before the latest strikes. Washington has maintained that it wants to keep the waterway open to commercial shipping.
Iran, however, has disputed US claims about the security and accessibility of the waterway and has repeatedly warned against foreign military activity in the region.
The renewed fighting has already affected global oil markets. Brent crude rose above $90 a barrel after the strikes as traders assessed the possibility of renewed disruption to energy supplies.
The latest escalation comes after the Trump administration had increasingly shifted its focus from military operations to economic pressure on Tehran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced plans for additional sanctions targeting financial networks and institutions accused of supporting Iran, as Washington seeks to increase pressure on the Iranian government.
The conflict has now entered its sixth month, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining one of the major flashpoints between the two countries.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was not seeking war but would respond to what he described as aggression against Iran.
The latest exchange also comes amid renewed concerns about the safety of commercial vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping activity in the strategic waterway has fallen significantly as operators assess the risks associated with the conflict.
The United States has not indicated that the latest strikes represent the beginning of a new large-scale bombing campaign against Iran. Officials have instead described the operation as a targeted response to an immediate threat to maritime security.
However, Iran's retaliatory attacks have created the possibility of further escalation, particularly if either side launches additional strikes against military positions.
Regional governments are closely monitoring the situation as the renewed US-Iran confrontation threatens to affect energy markets, international shipping and wider security across the Middle East.
For now, both countries remain locked in a dangerous cycle of military retaliation and economic pressure, with the latest strikes raising fresh questions over whether the relative calm of recent weeks can be restored.
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