US President Donald Trump has authorized defensive strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections.
Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island. The official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said that ‘Iranians using surface to air missiles against U.S. assets’ had been targeted.
The strikes appeared to be limited as opposed to a return to full hostilities but followed President Donald Trump previously saying the US would not launch new strikes on Iran before Tuesday’s 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 action follows weeks of intermittent clashes and reports that the administration had been weighing military options, arriving despite earlier comments from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance downplaying immediate war risks or expressing optimism about a deal.
