CENTCOM: US Strikes Mine-Laying Iranian Boats, Missile Sites in Southern Iran Near Hormuz

26/05/2026

CENTCOM: US Strikes Mine-Laying Iranian Boats, Missile Sites in Southern Iran Near Hormuz

TAMPA, May 26: The United States said it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran on Monday, targeting boats allegedly attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz and missile launch sites near Bandar Abbas, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

CENTCOM said the strikes were intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” adding that U.S. forces were acting “with restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.” Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said the operations targeted missile launch sites and Iranian vessels involved in mine-laying activities.

The strikes followed reports of explosions and clashes near Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day. Multiple reports said at least two boats linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were destroyed during the operation.

Meanwhile, several people were reported killed in what Iranian outlet SNN described as a U.S.-Israeli strike on the southern part of Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Local reports identified three alleged victims as Abbas Eslami, Ghodrat Zarangari, and Abdolreza Golzari, although the total number of casualties remains unclear. There were also unconfirmed reports that some of those killed were affiliated with the IRGC.

Despite the escalation, U.S. officials said the strikes do not signal the collapse of the fragile ceasefire currently under negotiation between Washington and Tehran.