Editor's Desk 
US Forces Strike 2 Iranian Rocket Launchers on Island in Strait of Hormuz
By Jacki Thrapp
U.S. Forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 30.
“Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told the Epoch Times in an email on Aug. 30.
The strikes were an attempt to protect operations in the crucial waterway after CENTCOM completed the clearing of sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes last week.
The Aug. 30 attack on the Iranian island marks the first military action by U.S. forces in a month.
“U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” Hawkins said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said several Iranian military personnel and civilians were killed and wounded in the attack, according to Iranian state media.
The IRGC “vowed to respond to the act of aggression,” state media reported.
The attack happened one day after a UK Maritime Trade Operations report suggested on Aug. 29 that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile near Khasab, Oman, as it was transiting inbound in the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the U.S blockade of ships entering and exiting Iranian ports continued over the weekend.
“As of Aug. 30, CENTCOM forces have redirected 83 commercial vessels, disabled 3 and boarded 2 to ensure compliance with the blockade,” CENTCOM reported in an X post on Aug. 30.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway that was previously used to transport one-fifth of the world’s traded oil before the war with Iran started on Feb. 28 and heavily slowed traffic.
The war sparked uncertainty in the region and raised gas prices across the world, including in the United States where the average cost for a gallon of regular gas surged by $1 in one month, rising from $2.98 in late February to $3.98 on March 26.
As of Aug. 30, the nationwide average for a gallon of regular gas cost $4.07, according to AAA data.
The Energy Information Agency predicts that gas prices will drop to $3.29 in 2027 and that crude oil production in the region will return to pre-war averages in early 2027.
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