The U.S. military struck radar detectors and missile launchers on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday, one day before the midterm elections, as international mediators push both sides toward a peace deal.
A U.S. official told NewsNation the attack was defensive in nature.
“This was a defensive measure for Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets,” the official said.
Officials said the strike came in response to Iran firing at a U.S. aircraft Monday evening.
Qeshm is located in the Strait of Hormuz and is the largest island in the Persian Gulf. It is home to a naval base, an underground missile site and a major desalination plant. The U.S. military has struck the island before.
The strikes were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The action comes as President Trump has said the conflict with Iran will end soon after the midterms. Speaking Monday, Trump described the fight as a “very soft war” and warned that American forces could strike Iran’s Pickaxe nuclear site “in one hour.”
U.S. Central Command has prepared multiple strike options, including targets on Iranian infrastructure and military sites, that could be used if the White House gives authorization, The Hill previously reported.
Meanwhile, diplomacy is picking up speed. Qatar, with backing from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, is leading the push to return Iran and the U.S. to the negotiating table.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had given the government authority to negotiate with Washington on ending the war. Tehran has said the fate of the peace talks depends on Washington’s actions.
Oil markets reacted strongly to the prospect of talks, with prices falling more than 6% on Monday.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint throughout the conflict. The narrow waterway carries a large share of the world’s oil supply, and shipping through the region has been repeatedly disrupted. Commercial vessels came under renewed attack near the strait over the weekend.
Iran has also aggressively targeted American forces in the region. An Associated Press analysis found that through August, more than 115 drone or missile strikes claimed by Iran or Iranian-backed militias damaged or destroyed structures on 26 military bases and other sites housing U.S. equipment.
The war has become a central issue in the midterm campaign. Democrats have hammered Republicans over the conflict and the spike in gas prices that followed, while Trump has argued that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is worth the cost.
Trump has repeatedly said Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, a point he raised again during his closing midterm speech Monday at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Whether Monday’s strikes complicate the push for negotiations remains to be seen. Voters head to the polls Tuesday with the war, the economy and energy prices topping their list of concerns.
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