Aug. 30, 2026, 6:19 p.m. ET
The U.S. struck Iran for the primary time since late July, hitting launchers on Larak Island on Aug. 30, U.S. officers confirmed to USA TODAY in an announcement.
Tim Hawkins, U.S. Central Command spokesperson, stated within the assertion the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces have been noticed getting ready to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz and that two launchers have been struck.
President Donald Trump stated final week that every one mines had been detonated or faraway from the important thing waterway for oil delivery and threatened that any ship or boat inserting new mines might be destroyed. Larak Island is an island within the strait roughly 20 miles south of the Iranian mainland.
“U.S. forces are monitoring the realm carefully and stay ready to guard the free move of commerce by way of this important waterway,” Hawkins stated within the assertion.
Tasnim, the semi-state information outlet in Iran, reported that the U.S. carried out a drone assault. The IRGC stated in an announcement revealed by Tasnim that the strikes killed troopers and civilians with out stating an actual loss of life toll.
Sardar Mohibi, spokesperson for the IRGC, referred to as the assaults “a strategic and deadly error” in a assertion posted to social media and stated that the U.S. would “pay the implications of this miscalculation in each the financial and army arenas.”
The struggle, which hit the six-month mark earlier on Aug. 28, had stalled following the late-July strikes. A memorandum of understanding that largely paused hostilities expired on Aug. 17. The U.S. threatened sanctions on international locations that supported Iran after a social media submit from Trump on Aug. 19 threatened “ECONOMIC D-DAY.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent didn’t instantly levy sanctions on China and others who commerce with Iran, saying that the U.S. was “giving everybody the chance to treatment dangerous conduct.” “Why would I wish to blow up the worldwide monetary system?” Bessent stated at an Aug. 24 information convention.
Dr. Trita Parsi, the manager vp of the Quincy Institute for Accountable Statecraft, instructed USA TODAY following the Aug. 19 social media submit that current developments signaled each side appeared to have “given up on diplomacy.”
“Tehran’s ‘diplomacy’ is to easily await Trump to return to the MOU, whereas Trump has barred U.S. officers from participating with Iran and dedicated himself as a substitute to financial warfare,” Parsi wrote on Substack shortly after Trump’s Aug. 19 submit.
The struggle has broadly been unpopular with the U.S. public, with a Reuters/Ipsos ballot revealed on Aug. 24 exhibiting 31% of People approve of the struggle. Reuters ‘ evaluation of the ballot discovered that declines in help for the struggle have been pushed by Republicans turning towards the struggle.
U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli assaults on Lebanon have killed 1000’s and displaced hundreds of thousands. At the least 18 U.S. troopers have been killed within the battle.
Contributing: Reuters
