U.S. Launches Secret Strikes on Iran Ahead of Midterm Elections
WTI Crude Oil Cargo RFE/RL journalists report the news in 21 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established.
We provide what many… The United States struck Iran's strategic Qeshm Island on November 2, US officials confirmed, in the latest in a series of previously undisclosed military operations against Iran that have continued even as President Donald Trump plays down the prospect of renewed large-scale fighting.
The strikes come just hours before the November 3 US midterm elections and follow a shift in Trump’s public rhetoric.
After weeks of warning that Washington could resume a major military campaign against Tehran after the vote, the president ruled out an immediate attack and pointed to the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough.
Asked whether he was considering striking Iran after the midterms, Trump told reporters, "No." But administration officials told The Wall Street Journal that the president was still weighing his options, underscoring the contrast between his public assurances and the military operations continuing behind the scenes.
The latest attack was part of a series of limited US strikes carried out secretly in recent weeks, according to the newspaper, which cited US officials.
Some described the operations as defensive, aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
One US official told The Wall Street Journal that the administration deliberately kept the campaign quiet to avoid signaling an intention to resume major combat operations.
Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported explosions on Qeshm Island on November 2.
The Pentagon referred questions to US Central Command, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment from RFE/RL.
Senior US officials later confirmed to RFE/RL that American forces carried out limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island, saying the operation was intended to protect US assets in the region after Iranian fire was directed at a US aircraft.
Qeshm sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important maritime routes for energy shipments.
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