US conducts limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island ahead of midterms

US forces carried out limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, 2 November 2026, US officials said. The action was described as defensive and aimed at Iranian surface-to-air missiles used against US assets. Iranian state media reported several explosions on the island.

One US official told reporters the strikes responded to Iran firing at a US aircraft. Another characterised them as a measure against Iranians using surface-to-air missiles. The Wall Street Journal first reported the operation, noting it formed part of a series of limited, previously undisclosed strikes in recent weeks. Pentagon officials referred questions to US Central Command, which did not immediately comment.

The strikes occurred hours after Vice President JD Vance said he and President Donald Trump felt optimistic about prospects for a negotiated settlement with Iran. Trump had told reporters earlier that the US had not been fighting for months and indicated he had not considered resuming strikes after the midterms. Iranian accounts differed: the IRGC claimed it downed two US MQM-170 reconnaissance drones south of Qeshm.

Qeshm Island sits near Bandar Abbas in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which about 20 million barrels of oil passed daily before the current conflict. The island has been targeted on multiple occasions during the war. Explosions were also reported near Bandar Lengeh in Hormozgan province. The limited nature of the strikes, according to US officials, does not mark a return to the major combat operations that ran from February to April 2026.

The timing places the action on the eve of US midterm elections in which control of Congress is at stake. The Iran conflict and its effects on US petrol prices and the cost of living have been a point of vulnerability for Republicans. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pressed for further strikes after the midterms, according to regional officials. Oil prices edged higher after the reports, with Brent crude rising about 0.5 percent.

US Central Command has not publicly disclosed strikes against Iranian targets since 1 September. Officials told media that recent operations were kept quiet to avoid signalling any intent to resume a broader campaign. Iranian state outlets including IRNA and Fars reported the blasts and, in some cases, described aircraft overhead. The two sides continue indirect talks mediated by Qatar, with mediators travelling to Tehran on the night of 2 November.

The development keeps the Strait of Hormuz as an active flashpoint even as both Washington and Tehran have spoken of possible progress toward an agreement. How the limited strikes affect those talks, shipping insurance rates, and the political atmosphere around the US midterms will depend on whether further incidents follow in the coming days.