WASHINGTON D.C Aug 31, 2026 – The United States is considering additional limited strikes in the Strait of Hormuz to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping, according to reports circulating Monday, days after American forces hit Iranian positions on Larak Island.
U.S. Central Command said Sunday that its forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers after observing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps units preparing to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the waterway. The action was the first publicly acknowledged U.S. strike on Iranian targets in more than a month.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said several of its personnel were killed or wounded and responded by firing missiles toward U.S. facilities in Jordan, which were intercepted, and a drone toward the United Arab Emirates. No casualties were reported from the Iranian counterattacks.
President Donald Trump said the United States would “hit them hard” and posted an AI-generated video depicting an attack on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil-export terminal. Officials have described a proposed follow-on campaign as an effort to “mow the lawn” — periodic strikes intended to prevent Iran from rebuilding radar, air-defense, and anti-ship systems around the strait.
Larak Island sits at the eastern end of the strait, close to Qeshm and Hormuz islands. The waterway, which separates Iran from Oman and the UAE, normally carries about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil. Traffic has fallen sharply since fighting began in late February, though U.S. Navy escorts have allowed some tankers to pass in recent weeks.
The latest exchange ended a month-long lull that followed Trump’s decision in early August to pause larger strikes and emphasize economic pressure, including new sanctions. U.S. officials have said munitions stockpiles and Gulf allies’ concerns about wider escalation factored into that shift. Iranian sources described the weekend fighting as a “limited confrontation” but warned conditions in the strait would worsen for vessels that ignore Tehran’s rules.
The six-month conflict began after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Control of the Strait of Hormuz has since become a central point of friction, with Washington seeking to restore free navigation and Tehran using threats to shipping as leverage. Further limited U.S. action remains under review and has not been publicly approved.
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