The United States carried out limited defensive strikes against Iranian targets on Qeshm Island on Monday, targeting Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets, a US official said. The action, the first in two months, came on the eve of the US midterm elections and as Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism about a possible negotiated settlement with Iran.
Multiple reports described the strikes as limited rather than a return to full hostilities, and reported that Qeshm Island was targeted. The operation came after President Donald Trump had previously said the US would not launch strikes before Tuesday’s elections.
The war, now in its eighth month, has cost US taxpayers at least US$47 billion and rattled global markets. A US naval blockade aims to prevent tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching the global market. Iran has also attacked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has been a vulnerability for Republicans in the midterms.
Vice President Vance, who sent a letter to Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei last week, told reporters he had spoken with Trump and that both felt “pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.” He said there had been “a number of good conversations with the Iranians.”
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for another wave of strikes after the US elections, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter. A return to full-scale war could help Netanyahu form an emergency government after he and his far-right allies lost their parliamentary majority last week. He pressed Trump during a call over the weekend, but Trump did not commit to military action, according to a person briefed on the call.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said the response to “any kind and level of threat” from the US or Israel should be immediate and without “geographic limits.” Iranian strikes on more than two dozen US bases have caused billions of dollars in equipment damage, the Associated Press found.
Other US allies in the region are urging restraint. Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman spoke with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth about the Houthis' continued attacks on Saudi Arabia. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the next escalation "will be more dangerous, more destructive, and it will lead to nowhere."
Diplomatic efforts continue. Qatari mediators held two rounds of talks with Iranian officials last week and more are planned this week, according to two regional officials. The mediators were trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in return for the US lifting its naval blockade, the officials said.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The strikes risk escalating an eight-month-old war just as Americans head to the polls, making the conflict a central election issue.
- The simultaneous diplomatic track and renewed military action reveal divisions within the US administration and competing pressures from allies.
- Any further escalation could disrupt global oil supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, affecting economies worldwide.
Background
The US-Iran war, now in its eighth month, began after tensions over Iran's nuclear program and regional attacks. The US maintains a naval blockade aimed at preventing Iranian oil exports, while Iran has struck US bases and commercial shipping. The conflict has cost US taxpayers at least $47 billion and contributed to higher oil prices, becoming a political vulnerability for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
Key Perspectives
- US Vice President JD Vance: Expresses optimism about a negotiated settlement, citing good conversations with Iran and a focus on medical supplies.
- US President Donald Trump: Minimises the conflict, saying he does not consider it a war, and has alternated between threatening strikes and pursuing a deal.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Pushes for another wave of US strikes after the midterms, seeing escalation as a way to form an emergency government.
- Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei: Warns of immediate retaliation for any threat, without geographic limits.
- Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman: Warns against further strikes and discusses regional stability with the US.
- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty: Cautions that the next escalation will be more dangerous and destructive.
What to Watch
- Planned talks this week between Qatari mediators and Iranian officials over a framework for de-escalation.
- Trump's decision on further strikes after the midterm elections, under pressure from Netanyahu.
- Iran's response to the latest strikes and any impact on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe US launched defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The United States has conducted defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official has said”
- SupportedVance expressed optimism about a possible negotiated settlement with Iran.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.”
- SupportedVance said, “a number of good conversations with the Iranians.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““We’ve had a number of good conversations with the Iranians,” he told reporters”
- SupportedVance said he and Trump felt “pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.”
- SupportedThe US carried out limited strikes on Qeshm Island on Monday.RTÉ News: “The US carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official said. The strikes ... appeared to be limited”
- SupportedA US official said the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets.RTÉ News: “Another official said the strikes were defensive measures against Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets.”
- SupportedThe strikes were the first in two months.Washington Examiner: “The U.S. military launched defensive strikes against Iran on Monday night, marking the first attacks in two months on the eve of the midterm elections .”
- SupportedThe strikes came on the eve of the US midterm elections.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The United States has conducted defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official has said on the eve of crucial midterm elections.”
- SupportedTrump had previously said the US would not launch strikes on Iran before Tuesday’s elections.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “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 strikes on Iran before Tuesday’s midterms.”
- SupportedThe war was in its eighth month and had rattled global markets.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “the eight-month-old war that’s rattled global markets and wreaked havoc on Iran.”
- SupportedThe war had cost US taxpayers at least US$47 billion.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The war ... has cost US taxpayers at least $US47 billion ($67.3 billion)”
- SupportedQatari mediators held two rounds of talks with Iranian officials last week, with more planned for this week.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The two officials said diplomatic efforts have made progress, with Qatari mediators holding two rounds of talks last week with Iranian officials. ... They said more talks were planned for this week.”
