BBC News
· collected 2026-08-31 · by Ruth Comerford, Ghoncheh Habibiazad
The US and Iran have traded strikes for the first time in weeks, with American forces attacking two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, killing two people and injuring two others. The US strike is the first known attack on Iran since President Donald Trump paused a renewed military campaign in late July. In response to the US strike, Iran has said it attacked US military bases in Jordan with ballistic missiles and targeted an air base in the UAE with drones, although the UAE's Ministry of Defence denied reports that Al-Minhad Air Base was hit. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway for global shipping, through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel before the conflict began in February.
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- Published
Iran and the US have traded strikes after American forces attacked two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
asserted
forces → publish → Hormuz
The first known US strikes on Iran since late July killed two people and injured two others, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which vowed "response and punishment".
US Central Command (Centcom) said it took "limited, precise action" after observing Iran preparing to "launch rockets and deploy sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz", according to its spokesperson.
uncertain
Iran → know → spokesperson
Iran said it had struck US military bases in Jordan in response, with Jordan's army saying it had intercepted eight missiles early on Monday morning.
asserted
it → say → morning
Iran's state TV also said the Iranian army had targeted an air base in the UAE with drones.
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army → say → drones
However, the UAE's Ministry of Defence denied the reports that Al-Minhad Air Base had been targeted as "unfounded".
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Base → deny → reports
The UAE did confirm it shot down a drone.
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it → confirm → drone
The US strike is the first known attack on Iran since President Donald Trump paused a renewed military campaign in late July.
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Trump → know → July
Larak Island is just offshore from the key port of Bandar Abbas and sits right on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global shipping.
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Island → sit → shipping
Some 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel through before the war began.
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war → liquefy → oil
Since the conflict began in February, the strait has effectively been closed, causing wild fluctuations in the price of oil on world markets.
Iran is currently demanding that tanker traffic pass by Larak Island for checks and reportedly forcing vessels to pay $2m (£1.5m) to cross.
uncertain
traffic → begin → 2
Iran's Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, said earlier that the attack on Larak was carried out by drones.
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attack → affiliate → drones
Hours later, Iranian media carried a statement by the IRGC saying it had attacked the US bases of King Hussein and al-Azraq in Jordan with ballistic missiles in response to the Larak Island attack.
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it → carry → attack
Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday it "strongly condemned the American military aggression on Larak", saying the strikes on bases in Jordan were a "legitimate defence".
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strikes → say → Jordan
Meanwhile Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement quoted by state TV: "We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors," according to AFP.
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we → say → AFP
Hours after the US strike, Trump posted apparent AI videos on Truth Social showing oil infrastructure exploding.
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infrastructure → post → Social
One was captioned "Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!" in reference to a major oil terminal off the coast of Iran which Trump has threatened to take.
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Trump → caption → which
His post did not elaborate.
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post → elaborate → ?
The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, with Iran responding by attacking Israel, US bases and allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic.
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Iran → launch → traffic
United Nations rules allow countries to exercise control of territorial seas up to 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from their coastline.
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countries → allow → coastline
At the narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes lie entirely within Iran and Oman's territorial waters.
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Strait → lie → waters
Iran has fired against vessels it says have sought to cross without its permission.
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it → fire → permission
Trump said last week that all mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran as part of its efforts to blockade the route had been detonated or removed.
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mines → say → route
He said Iran had been warned that any ship or boat deploying new mines would be destroyed.
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ship → say → mines
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi described Trump's claim as a "propaganda" deception.
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Minister → describe → deception
Iran is facing renewed economic pressure after Washington announced a fresh sanctions campaign on 24 August aimed at further isolating Tehran and expanding secondary sanctions against its allies.
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Washington → face → allies
Iranian officials and state media have largely dismissed the campaign as a continuation of previous US economic measures, which they argue followed Washington's military failure in the recent conflict.
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they → dismiss → conflict
The US is also continuing a naval blockade of Iran, which has affected Iran's ability to export oil.
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which → continue → oil
On Saturday, Centcom said it had disabled three vessels, boarded two and redirected 82 as part of the blockade.
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it → say → blockade
