United States Reportedly Strikes Iran's Qeshm Island as Vance Voices Optimism on a Deal
Seven Lights
The United States on Monday reportedly carried out limited strikes on Qeshm Island, an Iranian target in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest in a series of attacks Washington has kept undisclosed as President Donald Trump signals progress toward a negotiated end to the eight-month war.
The Reuters and Associated Press news agencies reported that the strikes targeted defensive surface-to-air missile sites being used against American assets. US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. If confirmed, the attack would mark the first publicly known US strike on Iranian territory in weeks.
The Wall Street Journal described the operation as part of a series of strikes carried out against Iran in recent weeks that have not been made public. United States officials, cited by the South China Morning Post, said the covert strikes were aimed at deterring Tehran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Al Jazeera news network reported that residents on Qeshm heard explosions. Iranian authorities have not commented on the reports.
Vice-President J. D. Vance said on Monday that he and Mr Trump were optimistic about securing a deal after Tehran revealed it had held indirect negotiations with Washington. “It could happen if they don’t make a deal, but they want to make a deal very badly and there’s a very good chance we make a deal,” Mr Vance told Fox News host Sean Hannity. He said the United States might still “have to go after Pickaxe mountain”, a fortified underground site in central Iran suspected of nuclear use, but added that it would not be “a big deal” and could be done “in one hour”.
Mr Trump has played down the fighting, telling reporters asked how soon the war would end that “this isn’t war” and that “there hasn’t been shooting for months”. On Monday he said he was in “no rush” to decide whether to resume attacks. Iran said it had a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within days if talks progressed, and mediators have continued to press both sides for dialogue.
The reported strike came on the eve of the US midterm elections, in which voters choose the full House and a third of the Senate.