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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Conflict & Security

US strikes Iran for first time in a month

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • The United States said it struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, its first attacks on Iran since late July.
  • US Central Command said Iranian Revolutionary Guards had been preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strategic waterway.
  • The strikes came as hostilities had eased after a six-month war, while efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement remained unsuccessful.

The United States has carried out its first strikes on Iran in a month, targeting two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier today, US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island

— Tim HawkinsThe US Central Command spokesman announced the strikes.

US Central Command said Iranian Revolutionary Guards had been observed preparing to launch rockets equipped with sea mines into the waterway. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesman, said US forces had completed clearing mines from the strait’s international shipping routes the previous week.

“The strikes came shortly after the US-Iran war hit the six-month mark,” with hostilities having subsided in recent weeks. The Trump administration had focused on what it called “economic warfare” rather than renewed military action. A US naval counterblockade of Iranian ports has also squeezed petrol supplies in Iran, amid a shortfall in domestic production.

were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz

— Tim HawkinsHe described the activity that preceded the US attack.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of tension. Before the war, one-fifth of the world’s oil passed through the strategic sea lane. Iran has effectively blocked the strait since the conflict began with US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes

— Tim HawkinsHe said US forces had cleared mines from international shipping routes.

A ceasefire reached in April and a memorandum of understanding signed in June have not produced a final peace agreement. Mediators including Pakistan and Qatar have tried for months to end the war. “US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” Hawkins said.

US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway

— Tim HawkinsHe described the US military’s position in the Strait of Hormuz.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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