U.S. officials confirmed to CBS, the BBC’s American partner, that the United States initiated military strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported multiple explosions across the island on Monday.
According to U.S. officials, the limited strikes were launched after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted an American aircraft. BBC has contacted U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East, for official comment.
The military action occurs just ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress between Republicans and Democrats.
Since joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran began in February, President Trump has confronted falling approval ratings and mounting pressure from within the Republican Party to conclude the conflict.
Speaking to reporters earlier on Monday, Trump stated that there was “no rush” to intensify military operations against Iran.
“One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially,” he told news outlet Axios. “They have no money, no gasoline and their people are getting very tired of it.”
Iran-US Deal Remains Elusive Despite Intensified Diplomatic Efforts
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that Iran and the United States remain far from reaching a peace agreement despite intensified diplomatic efforts, creating uncertainty over whether active hostilities will resume after the U.S. midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf declared on Tuesday that Iran held the advantage following what he described as Tehran’s “strong and sensible response” to Washington.
“Mediators are working hard to narrow gaps between Tehran and Washington,” the senior Iranian official said, after Qatari mediators travelled to Tehran on Monday night for talks on a version of the draft US-Iran deal that has been under negotiation for the past eight days.
The Iranian official warned that “Tehran’s conditions must be met if the US wants Hormuz reopened,” adding that Tehran would reject Washington’s “excessive demands” and insisted that nuclear negotiations could only commence at a later stage.
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