The United States carried out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm island late Monday, according to reports in US media, hours after Vice-President JD Vance said diplomatic efforts to end the war were making progress. The attacks were described as defensive and were not believed to signal a return to full-scale hostilities.
Iranian state media reported hearing several explosions on the island that evening, while local outlets said their cause was unclear. The Wall Street Journal first reported the strikes; Reuters and the Associated Press said they targeted surface-to-air missiles being used against US assets. US Central Command had not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the latest attacks were part of smaller-scale strikes conducted in recent weeks and kept from public view by the Trump administration to avoid signalling a renewed military campaign. If confirmed, the Qeshm attack would be the first publicly known US strike on Iran in weeks.
Qeshm lies near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and has previously been used to launch attacks on shipping. Although attacks have stopped in recent weeks, Iran has continued to enforce the closure of the waterway by targeting vessels attempting to pass through it.
On Monday, Vance said he and President Donald Trump were optimistic about reaching a negotiated settlement after Tehran disclosed indirect talks with Washington. “We’ve certainly made some progress. We’ll see if we can make some more,” he told reporters.
Trump said earlier Monday that he had not considered resuming strikes after Tuesday’s US midterm elections. In an interview with Fox News, he said a deal with Iran was possible, but also raised the prospect of an attack on “Pickaxe Mountain”, a fortified underground site in central Iran suspected of being a nuclear facility.
The reports of strikes came on the eve of the midterms, as rising fuel prices linked to the war became a prominent campaign issue. Trump played down the conflict’s impact on the US economy and highlighted falling oil prices in his closing campaign message.
Sources: The Guardian Business.