'Kharg Island being blown to...': Strait of Hormuz tensions surge as Trump threatens Iran

US President Donald Trump has sharply escalated his rhetoric against Iran after American forces struck Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a retaliatory missile attack by Tehran and raising fresh concerns over the security of one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “KHARG ISLAND BEING BLOWN TO SMITHEREENS”, accompanying the message with a video. The statement came amid a rapidly escalating confrontation between US and Iranian forces around the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest US action involved strikes on two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, off Iran’s southern coast near Bandar Abbas. According to US Central Command (Centcom), Iranian forces were preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait.

Centcom spokesman Cdr Tim Hawkins said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel had been observed preparing the launchers for an operation that could have threatened shipping through the strategic waterway.

The strike marks the first known direct US attack on Iranian military targets since late July, when Trump paused a renewed American military campaign against Tehran. Since then, Washington has largely focused on sanctions and economic pressure rather than additional military operations.

Iran vows retaliation 

Iran responded angrily to the Larak Island strike. The IRGC described the US attack as a “strategic and fatal mistake” and warned that Washington would face consequences in both economic and military terms.

Iranian state media later reported that the IRGC had launched ballistic missiles at US military facilities in Jordan, including the King Hussein and al-Azraq bases.

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The IRGC said the missile operation was carried out in retaliation for the Larak Island attack, marking a significant widening of the latest confrontation beyond the immediate waters of the Persian Gulf.

Iranian media reported that the US strike on Larak Island killed and wounded several people. Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, said the attack was conducted using drones and reported two deaths and two injuries.

Why Larak Island matters 

Larak Island occupies a strategically important position in the Strait of Hormuz, sitting close to Bandar Abbas and along a maritime route through which a substantial share of global energy supplies passes.

The island has also become increasingly important in Iran’s management of tanker traffic. Reports say Iranian authorities have been directing vessels through waters near Larak for inspection and allegedly demanding payments of up to $2 million for passage.

Any sustained disruption around the island could therefore have consequences well beyond the US-Iran confrontation, potentially affecting tanker movements, insurance costs and global energy markets.

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Trump has repeatedly threatened to seize or take control of Iranian territory linked to its oil exports, although the US has stopped short of such an operation. His latest warning over Kharg Island, one of Iran’s major oil-export hubs, signals that the possibility of further military escalation remains on the table.

Strait of Hormuz back in focus 

The latest confrontation also revives fears of a wider crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, where even a limited mining operation could disrupt commercial shipping.

Trump said last week that mines previously placed by Iran as part of an attempt to blockade the waterway had either been removed or detonated. He also warned that any Iranian vessel or boat attempting to deploy new mines would be destroyed.

With Washington now carrying out fresh strikes and Tehran responding with ballistic missiles, the risk of further escalation has increased sharply.