US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on the eve of the midterms
US officials, speaking anonymously, say Monday's strikes were limited and defensive, a response to an Iranian missile fired at a US aircraft. Iranian state TV reported explosions on Qeshm and in Bandar Lengeh. The Revolutionary Guards say they shot down US drones, which Washington denies.
The United States struck targets on Iran’s Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, on Monday. That account comes from US officials who spoke anonymously to several news organisations. The Pentagon has announced nothing, and US Central Command has not commented.
According to those officials, the strikes were limited and “defensive”, a response to an Iranian missile fired at a US fighter jet. They also say US forces intercepted another missile launched from Qeshm towards commercial shipping, and insist this is not a return to large-scale fighting.
Iran’s version
Iranian state television reported explosions on Qeshm and in the coastal city of Bandar Lengeh in the early hours of Tuesday. No casualty or damage figures have been released, and the cause of the blasts hasn’t been confirmed.
The Revolutionary Guards say they brought down US reconnaissance drones near the strait. A US official called that claim false.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said indirect talks with Washington are under way, with Qatar and Pakistan mediating, and warned that any new attacks would meet a stronger response. His ministry’s spokesman repeated Tehran’s demand that the US lift its naval blockade.
A day before the vote
The strikes land on the eve of Tuesday’s US midterm elections, with the Iran war weighing on the polls. Hours earlier, Donald Trump had posted that Iran wants a settlement “as soon as possible” and that it “could happen”. Vice President JD Vance spoke of progress.
The same officials say there have been several US strikes like this in recent weeks without any public announcement, as Iran has stepped up attacks on merchant ships in the strait.
Why it matters beyond the Gulf
Hormuz is the world’s most important oil chokepoint. In normal times, around a fifth of the oil the world consumes passes through it, and traffic has been badly disrupted since the war began in late February. Regional diplomacy keeps stalling too, as the postponed Salalah talks on the strait showed. For anyone filling a tank in Portugal, news from Qeshm reaches the pump sooner or later.
Image: NASA Earth Observatory (public domain)
