Iran retaliates against US bases in Jordan after American airstrikes hit Larak Island

The US military struck rocket launchers on Iran’s Larak Island on August 30, 2026, and within hours, Iran fired back with missiles and drones aimed at American bases in Jordan. Eight missiles were intercepted by Jordanian defense forces. No US casualties were reported, but the tit-for-tat marked the most significant direct military exchange between Washington and Tehran in over a month. Brent crude jumped more than 2% on the news, climbing above $90 per barrel. When two countries trade blows near the chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes, markets tend to notice. What happened on Larak Island US Central Command said the strikes targeted rocket launchers on Larak Island that were allegedly being prepared to deploy sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes were the first American military action on Iranian soil since late July, breaking a relative lull in what has now become a six-month-long conflict. Iran reported casualties from the attack, though specific numbers were not immediately confirmed. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian promised a “decisive response,” a phrase that has become something of a recurring motif in this conflict. This time, the...