President Donald Trump authorized defensive strikes against Iranian targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official confirmed one day before the midterm elections.
Iranian state television reported hearing explosions on Qeshm Island. The US official, who was not permitted to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said the strikes targeted “Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets.”
The action appeared limited rather than a full resumption of hostilities. It came despite Trump’s earlier statement that the United States would not launch new strikes against Iran before Tuesday’s midterm vote.
The politically damaging war, along with its effect on US gasoline prices and the broader economy, has created a vulnerability for Republicans seeking to retain control of Congress.
Tensions across the region had already been high over the possibility of renewed large-scale US operations against Iran. The latest strikes, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, are likely to intensify those concerns.
Meanwhile, indirect negotiations are continuing as Israel and several Middle Eastern allies press Trump over the next steps in the more than eight-month-old conflict, which has shaken global markets and placed further pressure on Iran.
The strikes came just hours before pivotal US midterm elections and appeared to stop short of signaling a full return to war.
Trump had previously said the United States would not strike Iran before the midterms.
Donald Trump authorized defensive strikes against Iranian targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz one day before the midterm elections, a US official confirmed. Pictured: A building on the island after it was destroyed in September
Trump had previously said the United States would not launch strikes against Iran before the midterms
“We had a war with Iran. We won,” the president said Monday.
“I don’t know if you even call it a war because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months.”
In a Monday night interview with Sean Hannity, Trump likewise suggested that active fighting had not occurred for several months.
“I mean, what’s a war? A war is a war, a war is fighting. Take a look at World War I, World War II, there’s fighting. When was the last time you saw us fighting with them? We go months and months.”
Trump then argued that the current confrontation should not be characterized as a war.
“This isn’t a war. It’s a very soft war. But this isn’t like a war that’s going on. There’s no war raging. It could happen if they don’t make a deal,” he said.
Officials told the WSJ that the strikes were intended to prevent Iran from attacking allied vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Daily Mail contacted the White House, CENTCOM and the Pentagon for comment.
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The Ateela 2 oil tanker navigates the waters off Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz, on April 28, 2026
Earlier Monday, Vice President JD Vance expressed cautious optimism that an agreement could still prevent Trump from carrying out his threat to order additional strikes against Iran after the midterm elections
The unpopular conflict with Iran, and its impact on US fuel prices and other areas of the economy, has become a liability for Republicans fighting to keep their congressional majority.
The administration was last publicly known to have launched attacks in early September. However, thousands of US troops remain in waters near Iran as part of a naval blockade designed to stop tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching international markets.
A third aircraft carrier, accompanied by thousands more troops, is also en route to the Middle East.
Earlier Monday, Vice President JD Vance said he remained cautiously hopeful that an agreement could be reached, potentially preventing Trump from acting on his threat to order new strikes after the midterm elections.
Vance sent a letter last week to Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, though the White House has disclosed few details about the message.
Trump said the letter concerned assistance for Iran, including “medical supplies and various things.”
Vance, however, suggested Monday that there was still a realistic possibility of a broader agreement between Washington and Tehran.
“We’ve had a number of good conversations with the Iranians,” Vance told reporters when asked about the letter.
“I actually just spoke with the president of the United States about an hour ago about this. Look, the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. We’re going to keep on working at it.”
Vance spoke as uncertainty continued to grip the region over whether the United States would resume full-scale military operations against Iran.
The behind-the-scenes diplomacy is unfolding as Israel and other US partners in the Middle East urge Trump to determine a path forward in the eight-month-old conflict, which has disrupted global markets and inflicted severe damage on Iran.
Iran is seeking guarantees that Washington will honor its commitments under any future agreement.
The United States and Israel have each attacked Iran twice while Tehran was engaged in negotiations over its contested nuclear program.
Iranian officials have publicly maintained that the country is prepared for either war or diplomacy.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, met with the country’s military chiefs and said any response to “any kind and level of threat” from the United States or Israel must be immediate and extend beyond “geographic limits.” He also called for expanding the list of potential targets.
