US and Iran trade attacks, marking first escalation in a month
By Haley Britzky, Zachary Cohen, Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN
(CNN) — Iran retaliated against US forces on Sunday after the US military struck Iranian rocket launchers, a US official said, marking the first escalation between the sides in over a month.
Iranian missiles fired into Jordan have been intercepted, the official said, and no impacts have been reported so far.
The attacks came after the US military struck Iran’s Larak Island, where it observed Iranian forces preparing to launch rockets with mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
CNN has reached out to US Central Command for comment on the Iranian attack.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said early Monday local time that it launched missile and drone strikes against two US air bases in Jordan in response to the US attack, according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.
US forces struck two Iranian launchers on the island earlier Sunday, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for US Central Command. Residents reported hearing an explosion near the island, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.
Larak Island is near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that has remained at the center of regional tensions and diplomatic efforts.
CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the waterway’s international shipping routes last week, the Trump administration has said. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that “Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed.”
“U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” the US official said.
When asked for comment, the White House referred CNN to US Central Command.
The IRGC had vowed retaliation earlier Sunday after accusing what it described as a “US-Zionist enemy” of carrying out an attack on Larak Island that it said resulted in casualties among Iranian forces and civilians.
A spokesperson for the IRGC said in a short statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB that the “action was a strategic and deadly mistake” by the Trump administration.
The strikes come as Iran and Oman continue discussions over a proposed arrangement to restore maritime traffic through the strait, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Regional mediators, including Qatar, have backed the talks, while Iranian officials have repeatedly linked the future of navigation through the strait to broader discussions with Washington and regional security developments.
Sunday’s attack marked the first US strikes on Iran since July 29, when the US completed a “heavy wave of strikes” in response to an attempted attack on American military positions the day before.
The White House said Thursday that there are no ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran regarding the six-month war.
Trump in recent weeks has focused on increasing economic pain for Iran rather than military actions, claiming last week that the US’ financial strength will move the country “toward a very big victory.” The US Treasury Department has threatened damaging new sanctions on countries that refuse to cut economic ties with Iran, calling it an “economic D-Day.”
Meanwhile, oil prices jumped Sunday after the news that United States launched its first strikes on Iran in over a month. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 2.8% to $90.57 a barrel, while US crude rose 2.7% to $85.64 a barrel.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Auzinea Bacon contributed to this report.
