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Iran live updates: US forces strike 2 Iranian rocket launch sites

The Trump administration is trying to ramp up economic pressure on Iran.

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.

The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz as the primary flashpoint.


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US forces strike 2 Iranian rocket launch sites

United States forces on Sunday struck two Iranian rocket launch sites on Larak Island, according to a U.S. official.

IRGC forces were observed to be preparing rockets armed with sea mines for launch into the Strait of Hormuz, according to the official.

Larak Island is a small Iranian island in the Persian Gulf at the eastern end of the Strait of Hormuz.

This attack comes after U.S. Central Command and Trump last week said that the Strait had been cleared of mines.

The official said U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the U.S. military's Sunday night attack "will be responded to" and "will lead to punishment of the aggressor," according to a statement published by Iran's official news agency IRNA.

-ABC News' Steven Beynon


CENTCOM commander says sea mines in Strait of Hormuz cleared

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, released a brief video update Thursday evening, repeating President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this week that U.S. forces have cleared Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz

"We have successfully cleared sea mines in the strait’s international shipping lanes, which were laid months ago," Cooper said in the video posted on social media.

Neither Trump nor Cooper specified how extensively Iran had mined the waterway.


Cooper said the mines were cleared through a combination of Navy divers, Navy SEALs and air power.

Cooper also said U.S. forces have overseen the safe passage of 1,500 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, carrying a combined 750 million barrels of crude oil.

"Thousands of U.S. service members operating more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft have sustained our success, turning around 75 vessels attempting to run the blockade and disabling three vessels which did not comply when directed," Cooper said.

-ABC News' Steve Beynon


As war approaches 6-month mark, Trump says Iran is 'failing' and claims they want to meet

As the war in Iran reaches its six-month mark on Friday, President Donald Trump is digging into his argument that Iran is "failing" and "begging" the U.S. to make a deal.

"I don’t want to meet, they do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal," Trump said in a social media post, something he has repeatedly claimed over the course of the conflict.


"Iran Is a Failing Nation!" he added in a subsequent post.

Outgoing Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized Thursday morning that there are currently no talks happening with Iran. Trump said in a phone interview on Wednesday that he is "not in a hurry" to resume negotiations.

-ABC News' Emily Chang


Tehran faces 'devastating' economic situation, Leavitt says

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News and NewsNation on Thursday morning that the administration remains focused on upping the economic pressure on Iran.

"They are in a devastating place. Inflation is over 100%. They can't pay their police. They can't pay their military. They're in a very vacant position already," Leavitt said of the government in Tehran.

President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are "continuing to pull every economic lever," Leavitt said.

Leavitt noted that there are no negotiations currently happening and added that the president still retains "all options."

"The naval blockade continues to be in effect as well, which has proven hugely successful," she said.

"No negotiations are happening right now, and this will continue until the president feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way. We have not seen that yet, but of course, that's at the discretion of the president as commander in chief," Leavitt said.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart