A US attack on Larak Island in southern Iran has killed and injured several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members and civilians, according to the Guards, which vowed a response and “punishment of the aggressor”.
In a statement, the IRGC’s public relations department accused the US of carrying out an “aggressive” attack on the island in the southern Hormozgan province on Sunday.
“The American-Zionist enemy, once again driven by its inability to resolve its internal problems and its declining credibility among countries in the region, and in an attempt to revive its sinister role and justify its actions before public opinion, carried out an act of aggression targeting Larak Island, killing and injuring a number of our fighters and citizens,” it said.
In a statement shared by Iran’s Fars news agency, IRGC spokesperson Sardar Mohebi accused the US of making “a strategic and fatal mistake”, for which it will pay consequences “in both the economic and military arenas”.
Earlier, the Fars reported that local residents had heard an explosion near Larak Island, while the exact location and cause were initially unclear.
The Iranian reports came after US media said American forces struck the island, where forces were observed preparing to launch rockets and mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command completed an operation to clear sea mines from international shipping routes through the waterway last week, according to the Trump administration.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that “Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed.”
“US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” the US official said.
Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf rejected US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s claim that Washington’s blockade and economic measures would crush Iran’s economy.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X on Saturday, responding to Bessent’s assertion that Washington had brought 130 million barrels of oil onto the market over the previous 14 days.
