US
US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island in what officials call a limited defensive move on the eve of Election Day
U.S. forces hit targets on Iran's Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz after Iran fired on a U.S. aircraft, officials say, as talks on a deal go on.
The U.S. military struck targets on Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday in what officials described as a limited defensive action, a reminder on the eve of Election Day that the conflict with Tehran is far from settled.
Three U.S. officials confirmed the strikes. One said they came after Iranian forces fired at an American aircraft. Another said the goal was to stop Iran from using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. planes and ships operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials stressed that the operation was not the start of the larger combat campaign that has been under discussion in recent weeks. A person familiar with the matter said the administration chose not to announce the strikes so that a narrow defensive move would not look bigger than it was. There were also reports that similar strikes had been carried out quietly before.
Why Qeshm matters
Qeshm is Iran's largest island and sits about 14 miles from the port city of Bandar Abbas. It lines the narrow channel that tankers must use to leave the Persian Gulf, which makes it central to Tehran's grip on the strait. Before the war roughly 20 million barrels of oil moved through those waters each day.
U.S. forces have hit the island earlier in the conflict. Shipping through the strait has been badly disrupted for months, keeping pressure on oil prices and on American allies in the region.
Talks still alive
The strikes came as American and Qatari mediators keep working on a possible deal to end the fighting. The president wrote on social media Monday that an agreement could still happen. In a television interview that aired Monday night he did not address the strikes and played down the fighting, calling it a very soft war.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters that the two sides have made some progress toward a way out of the conflict. He said Iran remains unpredictable and that military and nonmilitary options both stay on the table.
The war has also become one of the most common lines of attack in closing midterm ads. Voters head to the polls Tuesday with the outcome of the talks still uncertain.
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