Tehran, Iran, July 22 (ANI): The United States has reportedly carried out a missile strike on Iran’s Larak Island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, marking a fresh escalation in the expanding military confrontation between Washington and Tehran across one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the strike occurred on Wednesday afternoon, with local residents reporting a powerful explosion.
“At 2:48 p.m., the island of Larak was targeted by an American missile,” Tasnim reported. “The competent authorities are currently carrying out an investigation to determine the scale of the attack, the exact point of impact and the extent of the potential damage.”
Washington has not officially confirmed the reported strike.
The incident follows an ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iranian assets. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday that it had completed its 11th consecutive night of operations targeting military sites inside Iran in an effort to weaken Tehran’s ability to disrupt commercial maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic waterway, which handles about 20% of global oil shipments, has become the focal point of the confrontation. Speaking to ASEAN foreign ministers in Manila on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that allowing Tehran to control or disrupt the Strait of Hormuz would set a “very dangerous precedent” with significant global consequences.
Rubio said allowing any nation to dictate terms for international shipping, impose tolls, or attack commercial vessels would have far-reaching implications. While reaffirming Washington’s willingness to pursue diplomacy, he said Tehran was not “serious” about reaching a negotiated settlement.
The conflict has also spread to other parts of the region. U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington would respond if Iran-backed Houthi forces followed through on threats to block access to Saudi Arabia’s maritime ports.
“If something like that happens, we take care of it,” Trump told reporters after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House.
Trump also signaled that U.S. military operations were continuing, saying Washington was “not finished at all” with Iran and suggesting it could take Tehran two decades or more to recover from the effects of the strikes.
In a separate development, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said through the state news agency IRNA that they intercepted two “non-compliant” oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after explosions aboard the vessels sparked major fires, raising fresh concerns about global energy security.
The military campaign continues to carry a significant financial cost. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that spending on the conflict has reached $37.5 billion, up from the nearly $29 billion estimate reported in May. (ANI)
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