US forces strike Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in 1st military action in weeks

By Konstantin Toropin, Cara Anna and Ben Finley The Associated Press August 30, 2026 - 2:17 pm U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, marking the first military action in weeks, a U.S. official said. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that elements of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps had been seen preparing to launch rockets equipped with sea mines into the waterway. The strike ended a lull in hostilities that has persisted through an intermittent conflict lasting more than six months. Earlier in the week, U.S. forces finished clearing sea mines from the Strait’s primary shipping lanes. Iranian state‑linked media reported hearing explosions near Larak Island in the strait. A statement carried by Iran’s official broadcaster quoted the Guard as saying, “the martyrdom and wounded of respective of our fighters and compatriots.” The same statement warned that the attack would “result in punishment of the aggressor.” The clash follows days after the Trump administration announced it would shift focus from direct military action to expanding economic pressure, aiming to end the war with Iran. The new approach threatens punitive measures against any state or entity that continues to conduct business with Tehran. Officials said the turn to sanctions comes as dwindling munitions stockpiles, after months of fighting, raise concerns that the prolonged struggle could erode U.S. military readiness elsewhere. As the conflict drags on, the president’s promise of a swift resolution appears to be fading. Last week he said he is “not in a hurry” to bring Iran back to the negotiating table, insisting that the Islamic Republic’s position is weakening. Trump has repeatedly argued that combined U.S. and Israeli operations have devastated Iran’s navy and air force. Iranian officials estimate the country has suffered $270 billion in direct and indirect damage. Israeli strikes in the opening weeks of the war destroyed much of the theocratic regime’s infrastructure. Nevertheless, Iran has found leverage through its own attacks in the vital Strait of Hormuz, where relatively few oil and liquefied natural gas tankers risk passage. Tehran retains enough drones and missiles to target vessels moving through the chokepoint, through which about 20 % of global oil normally flows, effectively giving it sway over much of the strait’s traffic. Trump has repeatedly declared that the “Strait of Hormuz is open,” noting that 24 vessels transited the waterway last week. That figure is a small fraction of the roughly 130 ships that typically passed through the route each day before the war began. On Sunday, a U.S. Navy‑led multinational force said commercial traffic through the strait remained at “reduced levels.” A British maritime monitoring group added that an unidentified projectile struck a tanker north of Khasab, Oman, on Saturday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said the vessel had been heading inland and reported no casualties or environmental impact, citing unspecified military authorities. No party has claimed responsibility for the incident. Toropin reported from Nuremberg, Germany. Anna reported from Lowville, New York.