Trump vows to ‘hit Iran hard’ after Tehran retaliates for US Larak strike

President Donald Trump has vowed a forceful US response after Iran launched ballistic missiles at American military positions in Jordan, reigniting direct hostilities with Tehran following a month-long lull and raising fresh fears of a wider regional escalation.

The Iranian attack came hours after US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, near the Strait of Hormuz, on Sunday.

The US Central Command said the launchers were being prepared by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic waterway.

Trump told Fox News on Monday that the United States would “hit Iran hard” in retaliation for the attacks on US forces in Jordan and the UAE.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it launched ballistic missiles at two US bases in Jordan — King Hussein and Al-Azraq air bases — in what it called retaliation for the Larak strike.

Jordan's armed forces said eight missiles that entered Jordanian airspace were intercepted, with no injuries reported at the bases.

Iran claimed its attack caused significant damage.

There was no independent confirmation of those claims.

Iran also claimed attacks against US positions in the United Arab Emirates, although the UAE has denied damage to its facilities.

The exchange marks the first known direct US-Iran military confrontation in weeks, abruptly ending a period of relative calm while Washington and Tehran remained locked in a broader dispute over sanctions, Iran's nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump sharply escalated his rhetoric after the Iranian retaliation, declaring on Truth Social that “Iran is officially a Failed Nation. IT IS DEAD!”

He claimed Iran had no effective navy or air force, that its currency had collapsed, soldiers and police were not being paid and that inflation had reached 300%.

Those claims have not been independently established in their entirety.

Trump also alleged that more than 100,000 protesters had been killed by Iranian authorities and called for Iranian leaders to face war-crimes charges.

That claimed death toll is not independently verified.

Trump also posted an AI-generated video depicting Kharg Island, Iran's crucial oil-export hub, being destroyed, captioning it: “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!”

There was no evidence that the depicted attack actually occurred.

Kharg Island is strategically important because it handles the majority of Iran's seaborne oil exports, making it a potential target if Washington decides to escalate its campaign against Tehran.

The post nevertheless sent a clear political message: Kharg could become the next major target if the confrontation escalates.

The US attack on Larak Island was presented by Washington as a limited, pre-emptive operation to prevent Iranian forces from mining commercial shipping routes.

US Central Command said the IRGC units posed an imminent threat to commercial shipping and that US forces had recently completed mine-clearing operations in the Strait.

Iran said the strike killed and wounded several people and vowed that the attack would be punished.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian subsequently said Tehran was not seeking war but would not remain "passive" in the face of aggression.

The recent flareup highlights Hormuz as a critical pressure point in the six-month-old conflict. The US says it is protecting commercial navigation, while Iran continues to challenge American control over the waterway.

The latest fighting also comes as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration plans further sanctions against financial institutions involved in Iran-related transactions, while US officials continue pushing for the reopening of the strait.

The renewed military exchange continues to disrupt shipping through Hormuz and places upward pressure on energy markets. The Strait remains a crucial artery for global oil and gas trade, while reduced vessel traffic and continuing security threats are raising concerns over supply, insurance and freight costs.

US officials say they are working to keep the waterway open, but Iran's ability to threaten shipping and mining operations remains a major concern.

The immediate question now: whether Trump's promise to “hit Iran hard” becomes another limited strike — or the beginning of a new US-Iran escalation centred on Iran's military infrastructure, its oil exports and the Strait of Hormuz.

After a period of relative de-escalation, the US-Iran conflict is again entering a renewed escalation phase.

In an August 26 update, the Institute for the Study of War ISW (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project cited Iran's new military doctrine centred on “rapid response” — multiple strikes in retaliation for individual attacks, and even pre-emptive strikes against US assets.

ISW says this marks a "shift" from a predominantly defensive posture toward an “offensive” and “proactive” military posture.

The think-tank pointed to Iranian Artesh spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia, who described the new approach as including "rapid retaliation", multiple strikes in response to individual attacks and pre-emptive attacks against US assets.

ISW-CTP says this is intended in part to re-establish deterrence against the US and Israel.