US carries out limited defensive strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on the eve of midterm elections

The US carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to US officials, who described the action as defensive and limited. The operation came on the eve of US midterm elections.

The strikes were described as being in response to the IRGC firing at a US aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. They targeted surface-to-air missiles being used against US assets, according to US officials cited by the Associated Press. US officials said the strikes were not intended to signal a return to major combat operations. Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin, citing a US official, said the incident did not mark the start of expanded strikes by the US.

A quiet campaign

The Wall Street Journal reported the strikes, citing US officials. The WSJ described the attacks as part of a series of strikes carried out against Iran in recent weeks that have not been made public. The Trump administration has deliberately kept recent strikes quiet so as not to signal intent of resuming the military campaign against Iran. If confirmed, the attack would mark the first publicly known strike by the US on Iran in weeks. Qeshm Island is the largest island in the Persian Gulf, located off Iran’s southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz. Anti-ship missiles, mines, drones and attack craft are being kept in underground tunnels on Qeshm, per reports. The island has been used in the past to launch attacks on shipping in the waterway. The US has targeted Qeshm on multiple occasions throughout the war. Iran has continued to enforce closure of the Strait of Hormuz by targeting vessels attempting to transit.

Iranian accounts

Iranian state news agency IRNA reported several explosions on Qeshm Island on Monday. Witnesses told IRNA they saw two planes flying over the island. The semi-official Fars news agency said explosions were also heard in the port city of Bandar Lengeh, coming from the direction of the sea. Local Iranian outlets described the cause of the explosions as unclear, while US officials attributed them to American strikes. Separately, the IRGC claimed it had captured two US reconnaissance drones south of Qeshm using electronic warfare systems and destroyed an MQ-9 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC’s drone claims are not independently verified.

Diplomatic track on election eve

When asked earlier on Monday whether he was considering striking Iran after the midterms, Trump replied “no.” Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism about diplomatic efforts and a potential negotiated settlement. “The president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement,” Vance told reporters. Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told IRNA that “very intensive” talks to end the war are under way with the US via mediators. Araghchi said Tehran was prepared for both diplomatic and military scenarios “more than ever before.” Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s demands for peace had been clearly communicated to Washington and “the ball is in the US court.” Baghaei said Iran’s proposed plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be implemented within two days if Washington met Tehran’s conditions, including lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and securing an end to hostilities. Trump wrote on Truth Social that oil prices were dropping almost $10 a barrel and suggested a deal with Iran could happen soon. Rising petrol prices caused by the war have become a signature issue of the midterm elections, with polls showing voters likely to punish Republicans. On Nov. 1, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump would like to resolve the war diplomatically.