US strikes Iranian rocket launchers in first attack in weeks

[WASHINGTON] The US military on Sunday (Aug 30) struck Iranian rocket launchers that were preparing to send mines into the Strait of Hormuz, following weeks of relative calm.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were getting ready to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, said captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command.

Last week, the US military finished clearing mines from shipping routes in the strait, once an international waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flowed. 

“US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” Hawkins said. 

The attack by the US was the first military action against Iran in more than a month, as US President Donald Trump has switched to a campaign to squeeze the economy of the Islamic Republic.

The US last fired missiles at Iranian targets in late in July.

Since then, the Trump administration has planned to embark on a campaign to drive Iran to the negotiating table by squeezing its economy. 

Iran’s top diplomat said on Friday that resuming diplomacy with the US “isn’t impossible”, after what he described as “creative discussions” with Qatar, a mediator in the conflict.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post that progress “hinges on US understanding of one simple fact: Pressure doesn’t work”.

SEE ALSO

Trump wants more economic pressure on Iran as war drags on. What are his options?

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised an “economic onslaught” against Iran and its trading partners.

That includes China, which buys 90 per cent of Iran’s oil. He said the White House would be discussing with allies their plans to stop buying Iranian projects, but so far there have been no agreements to do so. BLOOMBERG