U.S. strikes Iranian missile sites on Qeshm Island after aircraft incident
The limited strikes near the Strait of Hormuz followed an Iranian attempt to target a U.S. aircraft, according to U.S. officials.
Five explosions were heard on Iran's Qeshm Island late Monday, hours after Iranian forces reportedly tried to target a U.S. aircraft near the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. officials told several news outlets that the military carried out limited strikes on the island, targeting Iranian surface-to-air missile systems, missile launchers or related equipment used against U.S. assets. The officials described the operation as defensive, not a return to major combat operations in Iran.
Why Qeshm matters: The island sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries a major share of the world's oil and other shipping. U.S. officials said Iran has continued targeting maritime traffic and U.S. aircraft in the area, while the U.S. has intercepted drones and missiles aimed at shipping.
The immediate trigger, according to U.S. officials cited by CBS and NBC, was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempt to fire on or otherwise target a U.S. aircraft. NBC reported that the strike on Qeshm was intended to take out the launcher involved. The Hill reported that radar detectors and missile launchers were hit.
The diplomatic contradiction: The strikes landed while Washington and Tehran were pursuing indirect talks through mediators. Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and President Donald Trump felt optimistic about the prospect of a negotiated settlement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said intensive talks were under way and Iran remained open to diplomacy.
Trump also said Monday that he was not considering strikes on Iran after the midterm elections, which take place Tuesday. The reported operation arrived on the eve of that vote, with the war, oil prices and its broader economic effects all pressing on the campaign.
What remains disputed: Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed earlier Monday that it had captured two U.S. reconnaissance drones south of Qeshm and destroyed an MQ-9 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. accounts of the incident focused instead on Iran targeting a U.S. aircraft. U.S. Central Command had not immediately commented on the reported strikes.
The thing to watch is whether the latest exchange changes the indirect talks that both governments say are still underway.
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