U.S. Strikes Iran's Qeshm Island in a Defensive Operation on the Eve of the Midterm Elections
The United States attacked Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday in what a U.S. official called a defensive operation meant to keep surface-to-air missiles from threatening American assets — hours before voters decide control of Congress.
The United States attacked Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday, conducting a defensive operation on the eve of the midterm elections, according to a U.S. official, in reporting by USA Today read in full by the desk this cycle. The attack was intended to prevent Iran from using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets in the region, the official said. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Monday that it shot down two U.S. military drones south of Qeshm Island, according to Tasnim, an Iranian news agency close to the IRGC — Tehran's claim, carried here as its claim.
The Pentagon referred questions to U.S. Central Command, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, USA Today reported. The strikes were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. CENTCOM had not publicly disclosed any strikes against Iranian military targets since Sept. 1, and President Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to downplay the extent of the fighting in the Middle East in the weeks leading up to the midterms. Republican candidates across the country have struggled to overcome broad opposition to the Iran war among Americans, and the conflict has upended the global economy and driven up fuel prices, contributing to voter concerns about affordability.
The strike landed hours after Trump, speaking at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool earlier Monday, said of the Iran war: "I don't know if you even call it a war because we haven't been doing any fighting for months." The strikes come as Vice President JD Vance has led a diplomatic effort to restart peace negotiations in the days before the midterms; Vance told reporters Monday that Washington has not set a deadline for Tehran to agree to a ceasefire, that Trump retains both military and non-military options, and that U.S. officials recently had several "good conversations with the Iranians." "We've certainly made some progress," Vance said. "We'll see if we can make some more." Trump had repeatedly suggested he could restart major military operations against Iran after the election — and on election eve, the operation came a day early, with control of Congress hours from being decided.
