US resumes strikes on Iran over Strait of Hormuz
Smoke rises following an Israeli controlled-explosion on the village of Kfartibnit as seen from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon on July 29, 2026. While violence has declined since the signing of a preliminary US-Iran deal in June and the Lebanon-Israel agreement, Lebanon continues to report intermittent Israeli strikes and artillery shelling on the south. Lebanon's army on July 26 condemned ongoing Israeli military activities that it said were preventing its full deployment under the framework deal. (Photo by
The United States said Sunday it had carried out air strikes on Iranian rocket launchers on a small island in the Strait of Hormuz, its first attacks on Iran since late July. “Earlier today, US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said in a message to AFP.
Washington said its attacks were aimed at preventing Iran from placing more sea mines in the strait, days after it announced it had completed clearing explosives from the waterway. “US forces took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz,” the US Central Command wrote on X.
In recent weeks, the administration of US President Donald Trump has prioritised “economic warfare” over military strikes on Iran. Tehran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic sea lane through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the United States and Israel triggered hostilities with strikes on Iran on February 28.
“Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes,” said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command. “US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” he said.
