Several explosions occurred on Iran's Qeshm Island and its port city near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. media cited U.S. officials reporting that the American military conducted "defensive strikes" after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on a U.S. aircraft amid heightened tensions and close attention to the U.S. midterm elections.
Iran's official IRNA news agency reported multiple consecutive explosions on Qeshm Island, located in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, late Monday night (2 Nov). Witnesses said they saw two aircraft flying over the island, while Fars News Agency reported hearing explosions in the port city of Bandar Lengeh coming from the sea direction.
The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported that the U.S. military carried out the strikes. Some officials described it as a defensive action aimed at limiting Iran's ability to attack commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and noted that the U.S. deliberately conducted the operation quietly to avoid it being seen as the start of a major military campaign.
The Associated Press, citing U.S. officials, reported that the American military targeted Iranian assets in the Strait of Hormuz, focusing on Iranians using surface-to-air missiles to attack U.S. military property. Meanwhile, Fox News and Axios reported that the strikes were in response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing on a U.S. aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (2 Nov). However, Fox News correspondents indicated this does not signal an expansion of U.S. military operations.
There has been no official statement from either the Iranian or U.S. governments. Earlier the same day, the IRGC claimed it used electronic warfare systems to capture two U.S. reconnaissance drones south of Qeshm Island and destroyed an MQ-9 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz.
These developments come ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, during which President Donald Trump's Republican Party is vying to maintain majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They also coincide with intensifying diplomatic efforts to prevent a new Iranian attack.
On Monday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that oil prices had dropped nearly $10 per barrel, a decline unprecedented in scale, as the market anticipated no war with Iran. He added that Iran desires to reach an agreement soon, which may happen shortly. When asked if he was considering attacking Iran after the midterms, Trump replied, "No."
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, stated that Iran's calls for peace have been clearly communicated to the U.S. and that it is now up to the U.S. to take action.
He explained that Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has been streamlined and could be implemented within two days if the U.S. accepts Iran's conditions, which include lifting the maritime blockade on Iranian ports and guaranteeing a ceasefire, thereby allowing normal operations of the Strait and initiating a new round of negotiations.
. SourceAl Jazeera