Iran and US trade strikes in major Gulf escalation

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According to multiple major outlets, US forces struck at least two Iranian rocket or missile launchers located on Iran’s Larak Island, a small but strategically vital island in the Strait of Hormuz through which a significant share of the world’s oil shipments passes.[2][5][6][12][13] Iranian state-linked media and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) report that the strike killed or wounded both military personnel and civilians, and the IRGC has publicly vowed to respond with “punishment for the aggressor.”[6][11][13] Within hours, Iranian sources claimed that Tehran launched ballistic missiles at two US air bases in Jordan, representing a direct state-to-state exchange of fire between Iran and US forces rather than proxy attacks, and US officials cited by Western media described the episode as the first major escalation between the sides in more than a month.[2][6][12][13] The confrontation comes against the backdrop of already heightened tensions in the wider Middle East, with analysts warning that sustained missile exchanges or further strikes in or near the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt global energy flows, endanger commercial shipping, and draw in regional allies on both sides, making this the most globally consequential breaking story at the moment.[2][5][6][9][11][12][13]

Sources: CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters, The Straits Times, NDTV, Xinhua, Webindia123, Worthy News