U.S. Conducts Limited Defensive Strikes on Iranian Targets in Strait of Hormuz as Midterms Near

On the eve of the American midterm elections, a U.S. official said American forces had carried out defensive strikes on some Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state television reported explosions on Qeshm Island. The official, who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the targets were Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets.

The strikes appeared to be limited rather than a full return to hostilities. Their timing matters. President Donald Trump has previously said the U.S. would not strike Iran before the midterms, and the war, now eight months old, has been unpopular. Its effects on gasoline prices and other parts of the economy have been a vulnerability for Republicans trying to keep control of Congress.

Earlier Monday, Vice President JD Vance told reporters he had spoken with Trump about an hour before about the talks with Iran. "The president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement," he said, adding that the administration would keep working at it. Last week Vance sent a letter to Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei. The White House has offered few details; Trump said it concerned helping Iran with medical supplies and various things. Rezaei told state television that "the tone has completely changed" from the U.S., calling it a very good sign. He also gave no details, and said he had not responded. Vance said the administration's foremost concern is a firm, verifiable commitment from Iran not to rebuild its nuclear program.

Behind the diplomacy, allies are pulling in different directions. According to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for another wave of strikes after Tuesday's U.S. elections. He pressed the case in a weekend call with Trump, who would not commit to military action, according to a person briefed on it. One official said Netanyahu was working with senior U.S. officials to persuade Trump to launch a quick but extensive air campaign, and that the president did not appear to have decided. A return to full-scale war could help Netanyahu form an emergency government after he and his far-right allies lost their parliamentary majority in last week's Israeli elections. The Israeli government did not immediately comment, and the White House did not directly answer questions about the call.

Other Middle East allies are warning against more strikes. A third regional official said they would destabilize the region and could lead the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen to step up attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping, while Iran-backed militias in Iraq could also join in. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said he spoke Monday with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about regional developments and the Houthis' continued attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The two regional officials said diplomacy has made progress. Qatari mediators held two rounds of talks with Iranian officials last week and are trying to advance a framework in which Iran would stop its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. would lift its blockade of Iran's ports. More talks are planned this week. October saw the most attacks on commercial ships in the strait since March, as Iran sought to pressure the U.S. economically over the blockade.

Oil prices dropped sharply Monday as the renewed diplomacy appeared to gain traction. In a speech billed as his closing argument to voters, Trump noted the drop and played down the conflict, which has cost taxpayers at least $47 billion. "I don't know if you even call it a war, because we haven't been doing any fighting for months," he said.

Iran says it is ready for either war or diplomacy. It wants guarantees that the U.S. will honor any deal, noting that the U.S. and Israel have twice attacked it during nuclear negotiations. The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, met military chiefs and said the response to any level of threat should be immediate and without geographic limits, urging a wider list of potential targets. He has not been seen publicly since the opening U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, which killed his father. An Associated Press analysis found Iranian strikes on more than two dozen U.S. bases have caused billions of dollars in equipment damage.

At the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, the mood was grim. UAE adviser Anwar Gargash said the sides are far apart and that if their positions are not bridged, "we have to worry about the worst." Egypt's foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, warned the next escalation would be more dangerous and destructive. China will send a special envoy to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. What to watch now is whether the Qatari-mediated framework takes hold, or whether Trump backs a broader campaign once the votes are counted.