US conducts limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island ahead of midterm elections
The United States hit Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz with defensive strikes after the IRGC fired on a U.S. aircraft.
US strikes on Qeshm Island
U.S. officials told CBS, the BBC’s U.S. partner, that the United States carried out limited, defensive strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks were said to be a response to fire from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed at a U.S. aircraft.
Iranian reports and claims
Iranian state news agency Irna reported explosions on Qeshm on Monday.
The IRGC did not comment on the strikes but asserted that its forces had shot down two U.S. MQM-170 drones south of the island and a U.S. MQ-9 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz.
Political backdrop
The strikes occurred as mediators increased efforts to prevent a return to all‑out war after the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has faced falling polling numbers and pressure from within his Republican Party to end the conflict that began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February.
In an interview with Axios, Trump said the United States had financially crippled Iran, noting “no money, no gasoline and their people are getting very tired of it.” He also mentioned the possibility of targeting an underground site linked to Iran’s nuclear programme, describing it as “not a big deal” and something that could be done “in one hour.”
Diplomatic activity
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Irna that “very intensive” talks to end the war were underway with the United States, facilitated by Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
Two regional officials, cited by the Associated Press, said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged Trump for another wave of strikes on Iran following the midterms.
Iran’s chief negotiator with the United States, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a televised speech that “the ball is now in America’s court to prevent war.”
It remains unclear how the diplomatic discussions will evolve as both sides navigate the heightened tensions surrounding the recent U.S. elections.
