US hits 2 Iranian launchers near Strait of Hormuz after mine threat
Why it matters: The strike ended a monthlong lull and risks renewed disruption to a vital global energy shipping route.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after the military said Revolutionary Guard units were preparing rockets carrying sea mines for launch into the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said the launchers threatened international shipping lanes that it had cleared of sea mines last week. Iranian state-linked outlets reported explosions near the island, and the Revolutionary Guard said several fighters and civilians were killed or wounded. Tehran called the attack a “fatal mistake” and vowed military and economic retaliation. The strike was the first publicly acknowledged U.S. military action against Iran in about a month, breaking a lull in a war that began on Feb. 28.