United States forces have struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz, an anonymous official said on Sunday (August 30). It marks the first military action in a month, with semi-official news outlets in Iran reporting sounds of explosions near Larak island on the strait.
Forces observed preparing launches
Forces with the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which answers direct to the regime in Tehran, were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, the official told the Press Association. In a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster, the IRGC noted “the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots”. The statement said the attack would “result in punishment of the aggressor”.
Sea mines cleared from shipping routes
It comes after the US military completed the clearing of sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes, which have spooked shipping companies, insurers and sent the price of oil soaring.
Shift to economic pressure
The reignition of tensions between the two nations comes just days after US President Donald Trump's administration said it would turn its focus to ratcheting up economic pressure on Tehran in a bid to finally end the conflict, rather than military action.
The shifting strategy, known as Operation Economic Outcast, centres on threats to punish any country or entity that continues to do business with the regime, The Sun reports. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent says the Trump administration's objective is to "sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone".
“President Trump has taken action that his predecessors have long deferred. Under his leadership, America is no longer managing the Iranian threat. We are ending it. Those who stand with the United States will reap the rewards of our partnership. Those who tether themselves to Tehran should expect to share in the isolation of a withering regime.”
Concerns over munitions stockpiles
However, it comes as the administration weighs diminished munitions stockpiles after months of war, having failed to topple the Iranian regime, one of the stated aims behind launching a campaign of strikes alongside Israel across Iran in late February. The shortages are sparking concerns that the prolonged conflict could undermine US military readiness in other parts of the globe.
Trump said last week that he is “not in a hurry” to get Iran back to the negotiating table, and he continues making the case that the Islamic Republic’s leadership is on the ropes.
