QESHM ISLAND, Iran — American forces hit targets Monday on Qeshm Island, which sits in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials said, describing the action as a narrow, defensive response after Iranian forces fired on a U.S. aircraft.
Officials said the strikes do not mean the United States is restarting large-scale combat against Iran. One official said similar limited strikes have happened over recent weeks without public announcement, a choice meant to avoid signaling a return to full war. U.S. Central Command has not commented publicly.
Iranian state media reported several blasts on the island Monday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps did not address the strikes but claimed it had brought down American drones near the strait. A U.S. official called the drone claim false.
Qeshm is the largest island in the Persian Gulf and sits along the narrow shipping lane that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas. The strait has been largely shut since the war began in February, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran, because of Iranian strikes on ships and a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. A June deal to end the fighting fell apart within weeks.
President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that there was no rush to step up attacks and said no when asked whether major strikes would resume after the midterm elections. In a televised speech Tuesday, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Tehran’s lead negotiator, said it was now up to Washington to prevent war.
Qatar, which is helping mediate along with Pakistan, said Tuesday that both sides are weighing proposals and that it remains hopeful about reaching an agreement.
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