WASHINGTON — U.S. forces struck two rocket launch sites on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz off southern Iran, the first American attack on Iranian targets in more than a month. Iran retaliated immediately, firing missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan, and oil prices rose.
A U.S. government official told Reuters on the 30th that American forces had hit two Iranian rocket launch sites on Larak Island that morning, adding that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been observed preparing to fire rockets carrying naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said Washington would never tolerate any further mine-laying by Iran.
The strike came about a month after President Donald Trump ordered a halt to military action against Iran on the 24th of last month. Since then, the United States has focused on tough economic sanctions. On the 25th, Trump said all mines in international waters of the Strait of Hormuz had been cleared and that Iran had been notified any vessel laying new mines would be destroyed immediately and systematically. The latest strike also appears to have been carried out after indications that Iran was preparing to launch mine-carrying rockets.
Iranian media confirmed the attack. The semi-official Fars news agency reported that explosions were heard near Larak Island but that the cause remained unknown. Tasnim news agency said at least two people were killed and two wounded in the U.S. air strike.
Iran vowed strong retaliation. In an official statement, the IRGC public affairs office warned that the enemy's terrorist act targeting Larak Island would meet a powerful response and that the aggressor would be punished. Iran's Press TV reported that Iran had fired missiles at U.S. naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Fox News, citing a U.S. source, reported that Iran was attacking a U.S. military base in Jordan. The source said no major damage had been reported so far and that all incoming missiles were intercepted.
Oil prices opened higher. As of 6:03 p.m. Eastern time on the 30th (7:03 a.m. on the 31st in Korea), Brent crude futures were trading at $90.44 a barrel, up 2.4% and back above the $90 mark. West Texas Intermediate was at $85.55, up 2.5%. Trump said over the weekend that he had signed a large crude oil contract with Venezuela, but prices responded more sharply to the U.S. strike on Iran than to that announcement.
