The United States carried out what appeared to be a limited strike on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz hours before Tuesday's midterm elections, raising questions about whether Washington will now resume a broader campaign against Iran. Iran's top security official said the strait will not reopen until the U.S. addresses Tehran's conditions.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Monday the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against the U.S. in the strait. Iranian state media reported explosions on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.
The attack came as President Donald Trump has said for weeks that he was considering a new wave of strikes on Iran after the elections, and as the region was on edge about the prospects of the U.S. resuming full-scale operations for the first time in almost two months. The last known U.S. attacks were in early September; thousands of U.S. troops remain in the waters off Iran maintaining a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching the global market, and another aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are on their way to the Middle East. Trump has alternated between threatening major strikes and pushing for a deal with Iran, and the war's impact on U.S. gasoline prices has been a vulnerability for his Republican Party as it tries to keep control of Congress.
Iran has offered to reopen the strait and resume talks on its nuclear program if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observes a ceasefire including in Lebanon. The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, wrote on social media Tuesday that the strait won't reopen until the U.S. addresses Iran's conditions. Iranian state television quoted the country's chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, as saying Iran had "delivered a firm and rational response to the American side. The ball is now in America's court to prevent war." He warned that if Washington "makes another strategic miscalculation, it should know that this time it will face a new battlefield and will find itself even more desperate than it is today."
Speaking before the U.S. official confirmed the strikes, Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and Trump "both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement." Back-channel negotiations have been playing out as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Trump for renewed military action after the U.S. elections during a call over the weekend, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter. The two officials said diplomatic efforts have made progress and mediators are trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the strait in return for the U.S. lifting its blockade.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called on Iran and the U.S. to engage in dialogue and reach an agreement, warning against further military escalation in the region. In Tehran, some residents said they hoped the midterm elections would bring a shift in U.S. policy. "The American people need to make a fundamental decision and bring about real change. They need to put an end to the leadership of someone who is so extreme and who runs things through lies, someone who supports Israel, a country that is literally killing children," said 69-year-old Reza Rezaei. One woman was less optimistic. "It doesn't really make much difference who comes into power," said Raheleh Movahhed, also of Tehran. "The American government and its policies have always had a problem with us. I'm not talking about the American people, mind you. I'm talking about their policies."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The strike tests whether the U.S. and Iran can step back from a return to full-scale conflict: Washington had not carried out known attacks since early September, and regional allies are pressing against resuming the more than eight-month-old war.
- Iran's conditions for reopening the strait, including lifting the naval blockade and waiving oil sanctions, define the potential terms of any deal; mediators are reportedly trying to build a framework around them.
- The midterm elections give the decision a domestic political edge: the war and its effect on U.S. gasoline prices have become a vulnerability for Republicans seeking to keep control of Congress.
Background
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula through which a large share of the world's oil moves by sea, making any closure a global economic concern. According to AP's reporting, the confrontation has run for more than eight months, with the U.S. maintaining a naval blockade, Iran carrying out attacks in the strait, and both sides engaged in intermittent strikes and diplomacy. Trump has swung between threats of major strikes and efforts to reach a deal with Tehran.
Key Perspectives
- Donald Trump: has said for weeks he is considering a new wave of strikes on Iran after the elections, while also pushing for a deal.
- JD Vance: said he and Trump "both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement."
- Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council: says the strait will not reopen until the U.S. addresses Iran's conditions.
- Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator and parliament speaker: says "the ball is now in America's court to prevent war."
- Benjamin Netanyahu: pressed Trump for renewed military action against Iran after the U.S. elections.
- Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Egyptian president: called on Iran and the U.S. to engage in dialogue and reach an agreement, warning against further escalation.
- Reza Rezaei, a Tehran resident: hopes the midterm elections will bring a fundamental change in U.S. leadership.
- Raheleh Movahhed, a Tehran resident: says it makes little difference who comes into power because U.S. policies have always had a problem with Iran.
What to Watch
- Whether the U.S. follows the strike with a new wave of operations after the elections, as Trump has said he is considering and Netanyahu has urged.
- Whether mediators can convert the reported framework of an Iranian halt to attacks in the strait in exchange for lifting the blockade into a negotiated settlement before fighting escalates.
- How the midterm results, and the war's effect on U.S. fuel prices, influence the administration's next move.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe United States struck Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz hours before Tuesday’s midterm elections.OPB: “What appeared to be a limited strike by the United States on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz hours before Tuesday’s midterm U.S. elections is raising questions about what’s coming next.”
- SupportedIran says the strait will not reopen until the U.S. addresses its conditions.OPB: “Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei wrote on social media that the strait won’t reopen until the U.S. addresses Iran’s conditions.”
- SupportedVance said he and Trump felt optimistic about the prospects for a negotiated settlement.OPB: “U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and Trump “both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.””
- SupportedThe strike raised questions about whether Washington would resume a broader campaign against Iran.OPB: “The Middle East and beyond have been on edge about the prospects of the U.S. resuming full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months.”
- SupportedAn unnamed U.S. official said Monday that the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against the U.S. in the strait.OPB: “A U.S. official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Monday that the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against the U.S. in the strait.”
- SupportedQalibaf said Iran had “delivered a firm and rational response to the American side. The ball is now in America's court to prevent war.”OPB: “Iranian state television quoted the country’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, as saying on Tuesday that Iran had “delivered a firm and rational response to the American side. The ball is now in America’s court to prevent war.””
- SupportedQalibaf warned that if Washington made another strategic miscalculation, it would face a new battlefield and become more desperate.OPB: ““If Washington makes another strategic miscalculation, it should know that this time it will face a new battlefield and will find itself even more desperate than it is today,” he said.”
- SupportedReza Rezaei said Americans needed to make a fundamental decision, bring real change and end the leadership of someone extreme who supports Israel.OPB: ““The American people need to make a fundamental decision and bring about real change. They need to put an end to the leadership of someone who is so extreme and who runs things through lies, someone who supports Israel, a country that is literally killing children,” said 69-year-old Reza Rezaei.”
- SupportedRaheleh Movahhed said it made little difference who came to power and that the U.S. government and its policies had always had a problem with Iran.OPB: ““It doesn’t really make much difference who comes into power,” said Raheleh Movahhed, also of Tehran. “The American government and its policies have always had a problem with us. I’m not talking about the American people, mind you. I’m talking about their policies.””
- SupportedIranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm and Hengam islands and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.OPB: “Iranian state media reported explosions being heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.”
- SupportedIran offered to reopen the strait and resume nuclear talks if the U.S. lifted its blockade, waived sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observed a ceasefire including in Lebanon.OPB: “Iran has offered to reopen the strait, and resume talks on its nuclear program if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and observes a ceasefire including in Lebanon.”
- SupportedNetanyahu pressed Trump for renewed military action after the U.S. elections during a weekend call, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.OPB: “Netanyahu pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. elections during a call with Trump over the weekend, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.”