U.S. Launches Another Strike on Iran After a Month, Blocking Mine Deployment in the Strait of Hormuz

[Financial News] The United States, which had not carried out a military strike on Iran for about a month, hit an Iranian base near the Strait of Hormuz on the 30th local time. Iran immediately threatened retaliation.
U.S. media outlets, including the Associated Press (AP), reported that an anonymous U.S. military official said the U.S. struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, early that morning. The official said the attack came after signs were observed that Iran was trying to attach mines to rockets and launch them.
On the 30th, Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported that explosions were heard near Larak Island, but the cause was still unknown. On the same day, Tasnim News Agency said the U.S. airstrike killed at least two people and injured two others.
The United States, which has attacked Iran together with Israel since February, briefly halted hostilities after the armistice memorandum of understanding signed on June 17. It then resumed strikes on Iran last month over control of the Strait of Hormuz. In an announcement on the 24th of last month, President Donald Trump said the airstrikes were halted because the Iranian side wanted talks, and that the United States had not officially attacked Iran until the 29th.
Trump then shifted from military action to economic sanctions. On the 19th, he said on Truth Social that he would launch a sweeping campaign to economically isolate Iran. On the 24th, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a large-scale secondary sanctions plan targeting third countries that do business with Iran.
The latest U.S. strike is believed to have been aimed at preventing Iran from installing mines in the Strait of Hormuz again. On the 25th, Trump claimed, "I have been told that all (Iranian) mines in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz have been removed or destroyed." He also said, "Any vessel that places new mines for Iran will be destroyed immediately and systematically," stressing a "zero-tolerance policy with full and effective enforcement against mine deployment."
On the 30th, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued an official statement saying, "The enemy's terrorist act targeting Larak Island will face a strong response, and the aggressor will be punished." It added, "The United States and the Zionist enemy are once again revealing their evil nature and trying to mislead public opinion, driven by desperation to escape mounting internal problems and restore their declining credibility among regional countries." The IRGC said, "Larak Island was attacked by these brazen acts of aggression, and many of our soldiers and fellow citizens were martyred and injured."
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on the 30th via X that a vessel had been hit by an unidentified projectile near the Strait of Hormuz. The incident occurred on the 29th in waters about 22 kilometers north of the village of Alkasab in Oman. UKMTO added, "There have been no reports of casualties or environmental damage so far."


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