The US strike on Larak Island and Iran’s retaliatory strike in Jordan could push the conflict to a new level. Analysts say that if any military clash in the Strait of Hormuz disrupts commercial shipping in particular, its impact won’t be confined to the Middle East — it could also affect global energy markets.
Following the US strike, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it carried out a retaliatory strike on an air base used by US forces in Jordan. This has raised fears that the ongoing US-Iran conflict in the Middle East could widen further. However, detailed casualty information was not immediately available.
Amid tension in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States struck Iran’s Larak Island. The US military said the strike targeted Iranian launch equipment and related installations that were preparing to lay sea mines. In response, Iran’s IRGC struck several air bases used by US troops in Jordan.
The United States claims Iranian forces on Larak Island were preparing to lay underwater mines. It said it carried out a preemptive strike over fears that commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would become increasingly risky. Larak Island sits in a strategically important part of the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran’s strategically important naval bases and military installations.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy transit routes. A large share of oil and gas transported from the Persian Gulf to countries around the world passes through this narrow waterway. As a result, any rise in military tension there could have a major impact on international energy supply and global markets.
Tension between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz has been rising for several months. Iran has been asserting its control and security interests over the strait. The United States, meanwhile, says it is working to keep international shipping safe.
The recent strikes have raised fresh concern over the safety of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has previously taken various steps to pressure traffic through the strait, and the United States has also struck Iranian military installations and its maritime capabilities.