WASHINGTON: Larak Island, located near the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, overlooks key shipping lanes at the mouth of the Gulf, giving it strategic importance amid tensions over Iran, maritime security and global energy supplies.
Iranian media reported that Tehran responded by launching an attack on two American bases in the region.
The renewed fighting comes weeks after the administration of US President Donald Trump intensified efforts to pressure Tehran and its trading partners through economic sanctions, while seeking to avoid further military escalation.
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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters on Sunday that new secondary sanctions against Iran were likely to be announced weekly as part of the pressure campaign, initially targeting banks.
“You will see more of these measures every week,” Bessent said ahead of a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors.
The US official said the strikes on Larak Island targeted two Iranian missile launch pads.
Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the attack had killed and wounded a number of soldiers and civilians and vowed a “response and punishment” from Tehran.
In a statement, US Central Command said it had taken “limited and precise” action against Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces involved in mine-laying operations, describing them as an “imminent threat.” The command did not provide further details.
