U.S. Launches Strikes on Iranian Targets in Strait of Hormuz

The United States launched strikes against Iranian military targets in the Strait of Hormuz hours before the midterm elections on Tuesday. A U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly stated that the attacks targeted Iranian forces using surface-to-air missiles against American assets in the strait. Iranian state media reported hearing explosions on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam. The media also reported sounds of explosions in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.

President Donald Trump had said for weeks that he was considering a new wave of strikes on Iran after the elections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Trump for renewed military action during a call over the weekend. Two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter confirmed that Netanyahu made this request. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified briefings received from American and Israeli officials.

The U.S. has maintained a naval blockade off Iran for more than eight months. This blockade is aimed at preventing tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching the global market. Thousands of U.S. troops remain in the waters off Iran to enforce this blockade. Another aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are currently on their way to the Middle East. The administration last carried out attacks in early September before this recent action.

Back-channel negotiations have continued as Israel and other Middle East allies lobby the U.S. government. U.S. Vice President JD Vance spoke on Monday before the official confirmation of the strikes. He said that he and President Trump both felt good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. Diplomatic efforts reportedly made progress, with mediators trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease attacks in the strait in return for the U.S. lifting its blockade.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council head, Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, addressed the situation on Tuesday. He wrote on social media that the U.S. response to Tehran’s demands to end the war was not convincing. Rezaei stated that the strait would not reopen until the U.S. addresses Iran’s specific conditions. Iran has offered to reopen the strait and resume talks on its nuclear program. In exchange, it wants the U.S. to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports, waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and observe a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called on Iran and the U.S. to engage in dialogue. He urged both sides to reach an agreement to resolve their ongoing conflict. El-Sissi warned against further military escalation in the region. The Middle East and other countries have been on edge about the prospects of the U.S. resuming full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months.

Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, spoke on Iranian state television on Tuesday. He said that Iran had delivered a firm and rational response to the American side. Qalibaf stated that the ball is now in America’s court to prevent war. He warned that Iran’s armed forces remained at the highest level of defensive readiness. He said that if Washington makes another strategic miscalculation, it will face a new battlefield and find itself even more desperate than it is today.

In Tehran, residents watched the U.S. elections with mixed expectations. Reza Rezaei, 69, said the American people need to make a fundamental decision to bring about real change. He expressed hope that voters would put an end to the current leadership. Raheleh Movahhed, also of Tehran, was less optimistic. She said that it does not make much difference who comes into power. She noted that the American government and its policies have always had a problem with Iran, distinguishing the government from the American people.