What happened

US forces struck two Iranian Revolutionary Guard launchers on Larak Island after US surveillance reportedly observed personnel preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official. The strike was the first publicly reported US military action inside Iran in about a month and followed the announced clearance of mines from the strait's main international shipping routes. Iran's Revolutionary Guard acknowledged an attack on Larak and reported that several fighters and civilians were killed or injured, without publishing a precise total. IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi called the strike a strategic and fatal error and warned that the United States would face consequences in both the economic and military arenas. Ebrahim Azizi, chair of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, separately promised a devastating response and wrote in English that retaliation was coming. The economic language is significant because Iran has maintained control over traffic through the strait and sought payment for passage. These statements are threats of escalation, not evidence that a retaliatory economic or military action has occurred. As of 31 August, the reviewed AP, Reuters-carried, Al Jazeera and Iranian accounts did not confirm that a retaliatory Iranian missile launch had occurred, identify a target, or report an interception or impact. The public accounts also did not establish the weapon used by the United States, damage beyond the two launchers, or any strike on oil facilities. This is therefore recorded as a maritime-corridor security incident, not an attack on energy infrastructure. The marker is an approximate island reference rather than a verified impact coordinate.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.