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The United States military on August 30 struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in its first military action in a month, triggering a fierce response from the Islamic Republic that launched missiles and drones at American soldiers stationed in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Forces with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, according to Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command.
Semi-official news outlets in Iran reported sounds of explosions near Larak Island on the strait. The IRGC, for its part, announced “the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots.”
In a statement, IRGC spokesperson Gen. Hossein Mohebi said the U.S. attack was a “fatal mistake by the Trump regime during the economic war” and that the enemy will pay the consequences militarily and economically.
Shortly afterward, the Corps announced that it had launched an attack on the King Hussein and Al Azraq U.S. bases in Jordan with ballistic missiles in response to the U.S. attack on Larak Island.
Jordan’s army claimed early on August 31 that “air defense systems intercepted eight missiles that breached the kingdom’s airspace at dawn.”
Additionally, Iran’s army attacked the UAE’s Al Minhad Air Base with drones, Iranian state TV reported, citing a statement from the army. The army said the attack targeted locations where American forces and helicopters were stationed at the base.
There was no immediate comment from the UAE on Iran’s claim, but the Emirate Defense Ministry later claimed in a statement that its air defenses shot down a drone launched by the Islamic Republic.
Later, the IRGC announced in two separate statements that it had shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz with anti-aircraft missiles, causing it to crash into Gulf waters, and that a supertanker caught fire and was brought to a complete halt after being struck by two naval mines in the southern section of the waterway.
The Corps said the tanker had been attempting to pass through the waterway illegally, warning that other ships violating its security rules will face the same fate.
The U.S. military last week claimed that it had completed clearing sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz international shipping routes.
In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemned the American military aggression on Larak,” adding that Iranian forces responded “in accordance with the inherent right of legitimate defense.”
The fighting came just days after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump said it would turn its focus to increasing economic pressure — rather than military action — to try to end the war with Iran. The shift came as the administration weighs diminished munitions stockpiles after months of war, sparking concerns that the prolonged conflict could undermine U.S. military readiness in other parts of the globe.
The last time the U.S. military targeted Iran was on July 29, when it announced a “heavy wave of strikes” on dozens of IRGC targets including coastal surveillance and defense sites. On August 1, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would order the military to hold off on new strikes at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Trump has repeatedly declared that the “Strait of Hormuz is open,” saying 24 vessels passed through last week. But that’s a fraction of the roughly 130 vessels that transited daily before the war began.
Earlier on August 30, a multinational coalition overseen by the U.S. Navy said commercial traffic through the strait remained at “reduced levels.”
And a monitoring agency run by the British military said an unknown projectile struck a tanker ship on August 29 north of the Omani town of Khasab in the strait. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said no casualties or environmental impact had been reported, and cited unspecified military authorities. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The U.S. military said that as of August 30, it had redirected 83 commercial vessels and disabled three under its blockade of Iranian ports.
The latest developments fit a pattern that has played out repeatedly since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran more than five months ago: a cycle of escalation followed by de-escalation.
An outright end to the war, or a full resumption of open fighting, looks unlikely in the near term. What has emerged instead is a low-intensity, prolonged conflict that shows little sign of resolving on its own — one that could well outlast the Trump administration. For Iran, which has weathered the pressure so far without collapsing, that drawn-out timeline works in its favor.
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the uae pimps of zionism must be hit hard, these bastards have supported the us and zionist genocidal wars. dubai airport must be turned into a parking lot.