The United States has conducted defensive strikes on some Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official said Tuesday, on the eve of crucial midterm elections.
Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island. The official, who wasn’t authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said that "Iranians using surface to air missiles against US assets" had been targeted.
The strikes appeared to be limited as opposed to a return to full hostilities but followed US President Donald Trump previously saying the US would not launch new strikes on Iran before the midterms. The unpopular war and the resulting impact on US gasoline prices and other parts of the economy have been a vulnerability for Republicans as they try to keep control of Congress.
The region is on edge about the prospects of the US resuming full-scale operations against Iran, and the new strikes, which were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, are certain to raise fresh concerns. Backchannel negotiations also are playing out as Israel and some Middle East allies lobby Trump on the way ahead in the more than 8-month-old war that’s rattled global markets and wreaked havoc on Iran.
The Trump administration was last known to have carried out attacks in early September, but thousands of US troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers hauling Iranian oil from getting to the global market. Plus, a third aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are on their way to the Middle East.
Before the strikes were confirmed, US Vice President JD Vance offered measured optimism that a deal could still be struck. Vance sent a letter to Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, last week, but the White House has offered scant details. Trump told reporters that letter was focused on assisting Iran with "medical supplies and various things".
"We’ve had a number of good conversations with the Iranians," Vance told reporters Tuesday when asked about the letter. "I actually just spoke with the president of the United States about an hour ago about this. Look, the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. We’re going to keep on working at it."
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