US strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island before midterm elections
American forces hit Iranian positions in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a US official confirmed. The action, which the source called defensive, was aimed at Iranians who had used surface-to-air missiles against a US asset. Iranian state outlets reported five blasts on Qeshm Island, which sits in the strait.
But the strikes landed just hours after President Donald Trump hinted at progress in talks with Tehran. “Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible. It could happen!” he wrote on Truth Social. Vice President JD Vance said both he and Trump were optimistic about “the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that indirect negotiations with the US were ongoing through mediators. “Given the sensitivity and gravity of the current situation, consultations and deliberations are very intensive,” he told state media, adding that Qatar and Pakistan were playing active roles. Yet the military action comes as Americans head to the polls for midterm elections. The Republican Party is fighting to keep its grip on Congress, and the war in Iran has become a political liability for Trump, whose approval ratings have slipped. Many voters are unhappy about the economic fallout, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for about a fifth of the world’s oil — has been badly disrupted since the conflict began in late February.
