US launches defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on the eve of midterm elections as scenarios for the war's next phase multiply
Donald Trump, pictured with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, whose notably different tones on Iran — Vance voicing optimism over a diplomatic deal — emerged as polls opened on the midterms.Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian state media reported overnight explosions confirming the US strikes, just hours before midterm polls opened.
The "defensive" strikes on Qeshm Island — which lies at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and contains an underground missile site, a naval base and a major desalination plant — came in response to a surface-to-air missile launch by Iran's Revolutionary Guard against a US aircraft. Officials characterised the strikes as limited and said they should not be read as a resumption of full-scale hostilities, even as a third US aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are heading to the region.
Trump told Fox News Iran wants a deal "very badly" and that the US had already sunk 159 Iranian ships.
The strikes broke Trump's own earlier pledge not to attack Iran before Tuesday's midterms, with the war already costing taxpayers more than $47 billion.
A senior Iranian official stated the sides remain far apart, saying mediators are 'working hard to narrow gaps' between Tehran and Washington.
