The United States has carried out limited defensive strikes against Iranian targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, just hours before the US midterm elections, a US official said on Monday.
The action came after Iranian state news agency IRNA reported several explosions on the island on Monday. The official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the strikes targeted "Iranians using surface to air missiles against U.S. assets."
Background to the Strikes
The Trump administration had last been known to carry out attacks on Iran in early September. Thousands of US troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers hauling Iranian oil from reaching the global market.
US officials said the strikes were in response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) firing upon a US aircraft. The strikes appeared to be limited rather than a return to full hostilities.
Political Context
Earlier on Monday, Trump told reporters he was in "no rush" to ramp up strikes on Iran. "One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially," he told news outlet Axios. "They have no money, no gasoline and their people are getting very tired of it."
Trump was asked by a reporter on Monday if the US will resume strikes on Iran after the midterms, to which he replied "no." However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the US elections, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.
Impact and Reactions
The war and its impact on US petrol prices and other parts of the economy have been a vulnerability for Republicans as they try to keep control of Congress. A return to full-scale war with Iran could help Netanyahu to form an emergency government after he and his far-right allies lost their parliamentary majority in last week's elections.
The Express has contacted US Central Command (Centcom), responsible for operations in the Middle East, for comment.
