DUBAI : Tensions in the Middle East escalated significantly on Monday following a series of military strikes between the United States and I...
DUBAI : Tensions in the Middle East escalated significantly on Monday following a series of military strikes between the United States and Iran, marking a sharp deterioration as the wider regional conflict entered its sixth month.
Early Sunday, U.S. forces launched targeted strikes against two Iranian launch systems located on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a U.S. official speaking to Reuters, the action was taken after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel were observed preparing to deploy sea-mine-carrying rockets into the strategic waterway.
"U.S. forces took precise and limited action to eliminate an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz," U.S. Central Command stated, noting the strike aimed to safeguard commercial shipping, mariners, and global maritime trade.
Iranian state media confirmed the strike on Larak Island—situated approximately 1,100 kilometers southeast of Tehran—reporting military and civilian casualties. The IRGC condemned the attack, warning of an immediate and harsh response.
By Monday morning, Iran launched a series of retaliatory missile strikes targeting U.S. naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and two U.S. military bases in Jordan. The IRGC claimed responsibility, stating it used ballistic missiles to target aircraft housing and maintenance facilities, causing substantial structural damage.
The Jordanian Armed Forces confirmed intercepting eight inbound missiles within its airspace. A U.S. source familiar with the operation confirmed to Fox News that U.S. air defense systems successfully intercepted the majority of incoming threats aimed at American positions in Jordan.
The cross-border engagements mark the first U.S. strike directly on Iranian territory since July, following joint U.S.-Israeli military operations that began in late February. The surge in hostilities comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned against Iranian attempts to mine the Strait of Hormuz, and hours after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a public call for regional unity against U.S. and Israeli forces.
COMMENTS