Iran retaliates with missile strikes on US bases in Jordan,UAE following American strikes on Larak Island

A month-long lull in direct military confrontations between the United States and Iran shattered on Monday as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched retaliatory ballistic missile strikes targeting U.S. military installations across the Middle East.

The exchange follows U.S. strikes on Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, ending weeks of relative operational calm.

What triggered the latest military exchange in the Strait of Hormuz?

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it executed "limited, precise action" targeting two IRGC rocket launchers stationed on Larak Island, a strategic landmass overlooking the primary shipping channels of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins stated that intelligence assets observed Iranian forces preparing to deploy rockets designed to lay fresh sea mines across international maritime lanes, shortly after CENTCOM completed mine-clearing operations in the waterway.

The U.S. strikes resulted in casualties among IRGC personnel and local infrastructure on Larak Island, according to Iranian state media. Tehran condemned the operation as an unlawful act of aggression, while CENTCOM rejected the claim, asserting that American forces acted decisively to eliminate an imminent threat to commercial shipping and global energy trade.

How did Iran retaliate, and what are the regional implications?

In response, the IRGC launched salvoes of ballistic missiles targeting two U.S. military air bases hosting American forces in Jordan, including Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq. The Jordanian Armed Forces reported that its air defense systems intercepted eight incoming missiles entering national airspace at dawn on Monday. IRGC naval units separately claimed to have downed an American MQ-9 Reaper drone operating over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran targeted areas housing U.S. helicopters and military personnel at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates with dozens of attack drones, according to state television.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned in a televised address that while Tehran does not seek total war, it will deliver a "decisive response" to foreign aggression before departing for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan. The escalation drove benchmark global oil prices—including Brent crude—above $90 a barrel as commercial shipping lines continue operating under heightened security protocols across the Persian Gulf.