Iran's army launched on Monday, August 31, an attack with dozens of drones against the Al-Manhad US base in the United Arab Emirates, in response to Washington's bombing of the Iranian island of Larak, carried out hours earlier. The attack occurred in the early morning hours and targeted facilities where US personnel and helicopters were located.
The US Central Military Command (Centcom) confirmed it had carried out a precision strike against two platforms intended for launching rockets loaded with maritime mines that Tehran was preparing to launch in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Centcom, the placement of mines by the Revolutionary Guard represented an imminent threat, and the attack aimed to protect civilian sailors, commercial maritime transport, and the free flow of world trade. This US attack was the first military action against Tehran in about a month.
The Iranian army indicated that the attack on the Emirates was in retaliation for the death of Revolutionary Guard members and civilians in a US attack on the island of Larak. Hours earlier, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had already launched missiles and drones against two US bases in Jordan, claiming to have shot down eight missiles without causing damage or casualties.
The Revolutionary Guard also stated, hours later, that it had managed to shoot down a long-range US MQ9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, which fell into the water, without providing further details about the incident.
