Updated

The US and Iran exchanged strikes for the first time in weeks, with an attack on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz killing two people and injuring two others, reportedly the first known US strike on Iranian territory since late July and a sign of renewed escalation. Iran's IRGC subsequently claimed it fired several ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a Navy destroyer it accused of harassing Iranian ships and enforcing a naval blockade, saying the vessels were forced to retreat after sustaining damage, a claim not independently confirmed by US officials. Adding to the picture of a widening confrontation, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that several merchant vessels in the northern Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman were subjected to 'disabling fire' amid the ongoing military activity, though it could not confirm casualties or environmental impact. The overlapping incidents underscore how the US-Iran conflict is increasingly spilling into contested claims over naval engagements and threats to commercial shipping across the Gulf region.