- By Ajeet Kumar
- Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:07 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
- US struck Iranian rocket launchers in Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran retaliated with missiles on US bases in Jordan.
- Crude oil prices surged after the military action.
In a major escalation, US forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in their first military action in a month on Sunday, breaking a lull in fighting during an intermittent war that has lasted more than six months. Iran swiftly vowed to retaliate for what it called a deadly attack.
Forces with the Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, according to Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US Central Command. The US military last week completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes.
Semiofficial news outlets in Iran reported sounds of explosions near Larak island on the strait. The Guard in a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster noted “the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots.”
Iran fires ballistic missiles towards US bases in Jordan
Later, Iranian state television showed what it said were ballistic missiles being fired by Iran at US bases in Jordan in response to the American strikes. Jordan‘s armed forces said they intercepted eight missiles that penetrated the country’s airspace early Monday.
A return to open conflict would be dangerous for the region, where Iran has targeted US military bases and infrastructure in Gulf countries since the war began on February 28. The last time the US military confirmed targeting Iran was on July 29, when it announced a “heavy wave of strikes” on dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets including coastal surveillance and defence sites.
On August 1, US 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 United Arab Emirates.
The US had turned to economic pressure
The attack comes just days after the Trump administration said it would turn its focus to increasing economic pressure - rather than military action - to try to end its war with Iran. The shifting strategy centres on threats to punish any country or entity that continues to conduct business with Tehran.
"Fatal mistake by Trump"
Sunday‘s attack was a “fatal mistake by the Trump regime during the economic war”, and the enemy will pay the consequences militarily and economically, a Guard spokesperson, Gen. Hossein Mohebi, said in a statement carried by Iranian media.
The US turn to using sanctions came as the administration weighs diminished munitions stockpiles after months of war, sparking concerns that the prolonged conflict could undermine US military readiness in other parts of the globe.
Crude oil price surges after attack
Crude oil prices rose Sunday in response to the US attack. The price for a barrel of US oil went up 1.8 per cent to USD 84.94, while the price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, rose 1.9 per cent to USD 89.79.
Tehran continues to assert that even after it works out a management plan for the strait with Oman, its neighbour on the other side of the waterway, the US can’t use it until it fulfils its obligations under the memorandum of understanding the countries signed in mid-June.
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.
(With inputs from AP via PTI)