On the eve of midterms, the U.S. military has just carried out a round of strikes against Iranian targets.
The strikes were launched in self defense after Iran fired a missile at an American aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz.
Specifically, the U.S. targeted Iran's Qeshm Island, which is the largest island in the Persian Gulf.
Reports have emerged that Iran has been storing anti-ship missiles, drones, mines, and other equipment on the island in underground tunnels.
Here's what we know, so far:
The U.S. military has launched limited defensive strikes at Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, three U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 3, 2026
A senior U.S. official said the strikes targeted Iran's Qeshm Island after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at an… pic.twitter.com/lscXrx8v0b
The U.S. military has launched limited defensive strikes at Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, three U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News.
A senior U.S. official said the strikes targeted Iran's Qeshm Island after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at an American aircraft.
The strikes came on the eve of Election Day, as President Trump floats restarting hostilities with Iran after the midterms and as the U.S. and Qatari mediators broker talks on a U.S.-Iran deal.
Speculation has been swirling about the possibility of the Iranian war ramping up again after midterm elections.
However, U.S. officials have stated that this is not an indication that full military operations are resuming.
Fox News reported:
The strike was "defensive" in response to Iran firing first and does not indicate a return to U.S. military strikes on Iran or the beginning of an escalation, the official confirmed.
Qeshm Island is home to an underground missile site, a naval base and a major desalination plant.
Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported earlier that five explosions were heard across Qeshm Island in succession.
The news agency also cited residents who said they saw two aircraft flying overhead when the explosions occurred.
Reportedly, the strike on Qeshm Island was the most significant — but not the only — attack carried out by the U.S. military against Iran in recent weeks.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Washington has been secretly carrying out "limited strikes" in the region for weeks:
The U.S. attacked Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday, U.S. officials said, in the latest of a series of limited strikes Washington has secretly carried out against the country in recent weeks as President Trump touted the possibility of a diplomatic deal.
The assault follows comments by Trump playing down the possibility of a return to war with Iran after Tuesday's midterm elections.
On the same day that these defensive strikes were announced, Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism at a diplomatic resolution during an interview with CNN.
Per CNBC:
President Donald Trump's administration has been talking down risks of an all-out war with Iran, with Vance being the latest to claim "good progress" in talks with Iran.
"The president and I both feel really good about the prospect of potentially coming to a negotiated settlement," Vance told CNN on Monday.
He added, though, that Iranians are "unpredictable" and Trump retains "kinetic and non-kinetic" options against Tehran. Vance said that Washington has not set any deadline for reaching a peace deal with Iran.
Trump said earlier Monday that the U.S. had to go to war with Iran to stop the country from having "a nuclear weapon," that "we're not going to allow Iran ever to have a nuclear weapon. And they understand that."
On Nov. 1, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also said Trump would like to resolve the Iranian war "diplomatically," and prefers not to use military force.
It remains to be seen if the strikes will remain limited or ramp up in the coming weeks…
But, either way, please keep the safety of all of our troops in your prayers.
Source link
