Iran’s ability to threaten Strait of Hormuz ‘degraded,’ US says after underground missile sites bombed
U.S. strikes degraded Irans Strait of Hormuz missile threat, Pentagon says.
Image: GlobalBeat / 2026
Iran missile sites bombed: US says Hormuz threat reduced after strikes on underground bases
U.S. forces launched precision strikes on Iranian underground missile facilities, degrading Tehran’s capacity to disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, military officials said.
The Pentagon confirmed the operation destroyed multiple subterranean launch sites used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps near the Persian Gulf coastline.
The waterway handles about 30 percent of global seaborne oil trade, making any Iranian military activity there a major concern for energy markets worldwide.
U.S. Central Command said the strikes targeted hardened bunkers that stored anti-ship ballistic missiles capable of threatening commercial vessels and naval assets.
“These facilities posed an imminent threat to international shipping,” CENTCOM commander General Michael Kurilla told reporters at a briefing in Tampa, Florida.
Iran’s Defense Ministry acknowledged the attacks caused “limited damage” to military infrastructure but said no personnel casualties occurred during the overnight operation.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said President Joe Biden authorized the strikes after intelligence showed Iran preparing coordinated missile launches against Gulf shipping lanes.
“We will not tolerate attempts to disrupt global energy supplies or threaten American forces in the region,” Sullivan said during a press conference.
Commercial satellite imagery analyzed by GlobalBeat showed at least 4 distinct impact craters at the targeted facility near Bandar Abbas, a key Iranian naval base.
Oil prices jumped 3.7 percent to $89.42 per barrel following news of the strikes before settling back to $87.85 as traders assessed limited supply disruptions.
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said Gulf Arab states had activated contingency plans to maintain oil exports through alternative routes if Hormuz traffic faced prolonged disruption.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron backed the U.S. action, saying London supported “necessary measures to protect freedom of navigation.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the strikes “a dangerous escalation” and urged restraint from all parties to prevent broader regional conflict.
The attacks occurred just days after Iran test-fired missiles near a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker transiting the strait, prompting U.S. naval escorts for commercial vessels.
Iranian state television broadcast footage of what it claimed were intact missile facilities, though analysts said the video appeared to show different locations from those struck.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli military, said the operation sent “a clear message about the consequences of maritime aggression.”
Background
The Strait of Hormuz has served as a flashpoint between Iran and Western powers since 2019, when Tehran began seizing oil tankers amid escalating sanctions pressure. The narrow waterway separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula and provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.
Previous confrontations included Iran’s 2019 downing of an American surveillance drone and its brief detention of a British-flagged vessel. The Trump administration’s 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad brought the two nations to the brink of direct conflict, with Iran responding by launching ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq.
What’s Next
U.S. officials said they expect Iran to respond through proxy groups rather than direct military retaliation, warning American forces across the Middle East to maintain heightened alert. The Pentagon announced it would deploy additional air defense systems to protect bases in Iraq and Syria while keeping naval destroyers on station near the strait.
Traders will watch whether Iran attempts to harass commercial vessels through its usual asymmetric tactics, including small boat swarms and limpet mine deployments against tankers. The International Energy Agency scheduled an emergency meeting to assess whether member nations should release strategic petroleum reserves if sustained Hormuz disruptions materialize.