US strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as leaders discuss prospects for a deal

According to the South China Morning Post, US forces attacked Qeshm, an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, on Monday, one day before the US midterm elections. Reports published on November 3 described a limited operation, as President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance expressed optimism about negotiations with Tehran.⁵¹²³

Missiles targeted

US officials said the strikes targeted surface-to-air missiles that were being used against American assets. According to the BBC, officials said the operation followed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing at a US aircraft. Al Jazeera also reported that account of the incident.¹²³⁴

The BBC said Iran’s official IRNA news service had reported multiple blasts on Qeshm. The South China Morning Post said Iranian media reported five blasts. The Guardian reported that local outlets had heard several explosions but could not establish their cause.¹⁵²

The Guardian reported that the strikes were described as defensive and were not considered a resumption of full hostilities. It also said the Trump administration had kept recent, smaller operations secret. Those accounts leave the publicly reported operation distinct from claims about the scope of the wider campaign.²

According to the Guardian, US Central Command did not immediately answer a Reuters request for comment. Al Jazeera separately reported an IRGC claim that it had captured two US reconnaissance drones and destroyed an MQ-9 drone; that account remained an Iranian claim.²³

Negotiations continue

Vance said he and Trump were hopeful about reaching an agreement with Iran and that negotiations had advanced. “We’ve certainly made some progress. He said it remained to be seen whether further progress could be achieved. Trump also said there was a strong possibility of a deal.²

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said intensive efforts to end the war were taking place with the United States through mediators, the BBC reported. He said Tehran was prepared for both diplomacy and military action, and that Washington had to choose between negotiations and further attacks.¹

Trump said he was in “no rush” to increase strikes, according to the BBC, and denied that significant attacks might resume after the elections. He nevertheless raised the possibility of targeting Pickaxe, a site associated with Iran’s nuclear programme.¹

War and the election

The war began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, according to the BBC. The broadcaster reported that Trump faced declining polling figures and pressure from members of his own party to bring the conflict to an end.¹

Tuesday’s midterm elections will decide which party controls Congress, the BBC reported. According to the Guardian, higher petrol prices associated with the war had become a central campaign issue, with polling indicating that its effects on living costs could hurt Republicans.¹²³