WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- US forces reportedly struck Iran’s Qeshm Island as part of a secret series of operations aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz.
- Officials described the recent strikes as defensive and said they were concealed to avoid signaling a return to major combat operations.
- Trump said the war could end soon while warning that Iran may eventually receive “the hammer.”
- US and Iranian negotiators are pursuing a peace agreement through intensive consultations involving mediators.
US forces reportedly launched a secret attack Monday against Iran’s Qeshm Island, marking the latest in a series of limited strikes intended to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. The operation was reported by the Wall Street Journal.
American forces have secretly carried out several attacks against Iran during recent weeks, according to the report. US officials have characterized those operations as defensive in nature rather than the beginning of another major combat push.
Qeshm Island sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz and has been used by the Iranian regime to store ballistic missiles. The strategically located island also contains a naval base and a desalination plant.
DEVELOPING: Explosions Rock Qeshm Island as U.S. Strikes Reported, IRGC Claims Aircraft Downed
Just hours after President Trump publicly downplayed the prospect of renewed strikes against Iran, the U.S. has reportedly carried out a military strike against Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported five explosions on Qeshm Island, with residents describing aircraft overhead. Iranian air defenses were reportedly activated, while the IRGC claimed to have intercepted a hostile fighter jet and downed American drones near the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. official also reported that Iran fired surface-to-air missiles at American assets, prompting defensive U.S. strikes. Reported U.S. targets included radar systems and missile launchers. — C14 News | EN (@c14english) November 3, 2026
US forces have repeatedly targeted the island since the war with Iran began. That makes Monday’s assault part of a continuing series of operations around the strategically important waterway.
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The recent wave of strikes has been deliberately kept under wraps, a US official told the Journal. According to that official, Washington does not want the operations to signal that the United States intends to resume major combat operations against Iran.
President Trump, meanwhile, has indicated that the war, which has lasted eight months, could both escalate and end shortly after Tuesday’s midterm elections. He addressed the conflict Sunday night during a campaign rally in Iowa.
“The only reason we are not finished with Iran is because I want to be nice,” Trump told the crowd. His remarks suggested that the president still sees an opportunity to avoid further loss of life before taking additional action.
“I want to try and save all those lives if I can. But at some point, we’re going to have to give them the hammer,” Trump added. “It’s going to be over very soon. Very soon.”
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Trump offered a much shorter response Monday when reporters asked whether he would resume attacks on Iran following the midterms. “No,” the president said after delivering a speech at the Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC.
During those remarks, Trump declared that the United States had already prevailed in its conflict with Tehran. He also argued that the prolonged absence of fighting raised questions about whether the conflict should still be described as a war.
“We had a war with Iran. We won,” Trump said in his remarks. “I don’t know if you even call it a war because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months, you know. We control the Strait of Hormuz.”
The reported strike on Qeshm Island comes as negotiators from the United States and Iran continue pushing toward a peace agreement. Those talks are moving forward even as the secret American operations against Iranian targets continue.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said discussions conducted through mediators were moving at an intense pace. His team departed Qatar on Sunday after participating in the diplomatic effort.
“Consultations through mediators are very intensive,” Araqchi said. He placed responsibility for the next steps on Washington after saying that Iran had already delivered its terms and proposals.
“We have presented our conditions and proposals, and everything depends on the political rationality of Washington,” Araqchi added. His comments reflected the continuing diplomatic pressure surrounding negotiations between the two countries.
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