US media said the United States today carried out limited strikes against an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian media reported five explosions in rapid succession. BuyMaps
The strikes come as US voters head to the polls in midterm elections that threaten to erode President Donald Trump’s hold on power.
The strikes, previously reported by The Wall Street Journal, targeted Qeshm Island, which is in the crucial Hormuz strait, a critical flashpoint of the Middle East war that has rocked global markets. BookBeach Resorts
Unnamed US sources told The Journal, CNN, The New York Times and several other publications that the assaults were defensive in character. This was simply the latest in a series of undeclared strikes, the Journal added. Purchase Maps
It stated they had not been publicised publicly because Washington did not want to give the appearance that it was going to resume massive military operations. The U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Late February saw the US and Israel commence their war with Iran with a big wave of strikes. The war has been deadlocked for months.
An Israeli military official was asked about the latest reported strikes and answered “No”.
Israel also had an election last week in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party was victorious but failed to gain a majority.
The purported strike came only hours after Trump said a deal with Iran “could happen” ahead of midterm elections in which voters are expected to voice their displeasure over the war and inflation.
“Iran wants a settlement, ASAP,” Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported five explosions in rapid succession on Qeshm island, and that some people reported seeing two planes flying in the skies.
It did not specify what caused the blasts.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed, in the meantime, that indirect talks were going on with the US.
“Given the sensitivity and seriousness of the current situation, consultations and discussions are very serious,” state media quoted Araghchi as saying.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Tehran’s main negotiator in the negotiations with the US, said today that Iran, albeit ready for war, had delivered a “rational response” to Washington.
“Now the ball is in America’s court to prevent war.”
Oil prices had dropped by more than seven percent on Monday on optimism over a possible resolution to the eight-month-old conflict.
– Open the straits –
US Vise President JD Vance said he and Trump were optimistic about coming to a deal.
We’ve definitely seen some progress. Let’s see if we can get a few more,” Vance told reporters yesterday.
China also advocated for a return to negotiation, while Iran’s security director spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the issue.
Last week, news source Axios reported that Vance had written to Iranian national security chief Mohsen Rezaei about possible new discussions, the highest-level action in months. Read Daily News
Iran’s First Vise President Mohammad Reza Aref stated signals received from Washington were “an acknowledgement of our victory.”
A senior Iranian official said Tehran was ready to open up Hormuz — a critical route for world oil and gas supplies — within two days but only if Washington adhered to its long-standing list of demands.
In September, Iran submitted a seven-day plan to reopen the strait, which included demands to terminate the war on all fronts, unfreeze Iranian assets, lift oil sanctions and lift its counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
“The good faith of Iran in implementing this plan is also shown by the possibility of putting it into operation in two days,” the spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, told reporters at a briefing. Discover History
– ‘No compromise’ –
Beijing hosted talks yesterday between China and representatives from Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Beijing supports Tehran in “defending its own sovereignty and security,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, a Chinese statement said.
“Washington has to accept a new route agreed between Iran and Oman for transiting the strait,” Foreign Minister Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera published on Sunday.
He also called on Washington to lift newly imposed sanctions and reduce the amount of US troops in the region. Buy Maps
Trump has continued his threats against Tehran and said on Sunday that the U.S. may have to throw Iran “the hammer” at some point not mentioned.
On Saturday, the US leader said he still had to “take care” of one or two targets including so-called Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran, a suspected nuclear location which Tehran claims is a nuclear site.
Iranian authorities have consistently warned that if the US resumes the war, there will be a broad range of retribution.
The Tehran authorities have put up a large banner in the middle of the metropolis.
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