All projectiles intercepted, but attack marks major escalation in six-month war
Iran said Monday it struck U.S. military bases in Jordan in retaliation for an American attack on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz, after Washington said it acted to stop Iranian forces from laying sea mines.
The missile barrage targeted U.S. facilities in Jordan, though all projectiles were reportedly intercepted and no casualties have been reported. The attack comes as the U.S.-Israel war against Iran reaches the six-month mark, with no conclusion in sight.
The U.S. strikes on Larak Island – which Iran says prompted Monday’s retaliation – mark the first known American attacks against Iran since late July. Washington said the action was necessary to prevent Iranian forces from mining the strategic waterway.
Tensions have been building for months. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social purporting to show Iran’s Kharg Island – the Islamic Republic’s key oil-export hub – being “blown to smithereens”, though no evidence of an actual attack has emerged.
Meanwhile, top U.S. military leaders have warned Secretary of War Pete Hegseth that prolonging the six-month Iran war is unsustainable and leaves the homeland exposed, The Washington Post reported Saturday. The warnings come as the conflict has led to a dramatic slowdown of Gulf oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, which about 20% of the world’s petroleum passed through prior to the conflict.
On the economic front, the Trump administration is ramping up financial pressure, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing new bank sanctions against Iran this week and urging countries that still do business with Tehran to sever their financial ties or face U.S. retaliation.
This is a developing story.
Leave a Reply