U.S. Strikes Iran in First Military Action in a Month

U.S. forces attacked two Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), marking the first publicly confirmed strike on Iran in weeks.In a statement to TIME, CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed the strikes on the launchers on Larak Island, adding that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces “were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines” into the strait. Last week, U.S. forces finished clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes. “U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” Hawkins added.Axios later reported, citing a U.S. official, that Iran launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan in retaliation for the strikes. Jordan’s armed forces said it intercepted eight missiles that entered the country’s airspace early Monday morning.Iranian state news agency IRNA carried a statement from the Revolutionary Guards issued soon after the U.S. strikes saying that Iran will respond to the attacks on Larak Island “with punishment for the aggressor”.In a stateme...