Iran and the US exchange fire for the first time in a month

Iran and the United States have exchanged fire for the first time in a month, reopening a military confrontation that had appeared to be easing. The clash followed US strikes on Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island, in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Limited, precise action against IRGC mine-laying forces posing a direct threat in the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said its forces had taken "limited, precise action against IRGC mine-laying forces posing a direct threat in the Strait of Hormuz." Washington said the strikes aimed to prevent Tehran from mining the important shipping route.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it responded with ballistic missile attacks on two US air bases in Jordan, causing "major losses." Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight missiles but did not identify their origin. Iran also said it had struck US personnel at an air base in the United Arab Emirates and shot down an American drone over the strait. The UAE said it had "dealt with" a drone over its waters, but rejected claims that Al Minhad air base had been attacked as "unfounded."

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We do not seek war, but we will give aggressors a decisive response.

The exchange came six months after the war began, with both sides still locked in a struggle over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has kept the waterway closed to commercial shipping, while Washington continues its blockade of Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump has said the US Navy has "full control" of the strait and has called it US territory. Washington also said last week that it had finished clearing explosives from the route.

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Full control

US Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said American forces were watching the area closely and were ready to protect the free flow of trade. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, "We do not seek war, but we will give aggressors a decisive response." Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the US attack on Larak an act of aggression and described the strikes on Jordan as legitimate self-defense.

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Major losses