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

The US has carried out "defensive" strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes appeared to be limited and were not a resumption of major combat operations, according to a Washington official. It comes on the eve of crucial midterm elections, which will determine how President Donald Trump can govern for the remainder of his second term. When asked earlier on Monday whether he had considered resuming strikes on Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections, Trump replied “no”. Officials told NBC News that they were in self-defence and in response to Tehran continuing to target maritime shipping and American assets. Sources suggested the White House carried out the recent strikes on a smaller scale and deliberately kept them secret, so as not to signal any intent of resuming the military campaign against Iran. In recent weeks, President Trump hinted at renewing attacks on Iran after the US midterm elections on Tuesday. However, President Trump took to his Truth Social page, where he reiterated claims he has made throughout the conflict that a deal between Washington and Tehran could soon be reached. Iranian negotiators were in Doha on Sunday for a third straight day of talks with Qatari mediators to push for a deal to end the war. President Trump said on Monday he believed Iran wanted to make a deal and that such an agreement "could happen." Vice President JD Vance reported that there had been "a number of good conversations with the Iranians." He said: "Look, the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. We're going to keep on working at it" LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FROM IRAN President Trump stressed his bottom-line demand that Iran not possess a nuclear weapon. He said: "We're not going to allow Iran ever to have a nuclear weapon, and they understand that. They've understood that and they've said it even recently. "If we allowed Iran to have a nuclear weapon, this country could never function in the same way. The whole world would be a different place." He insisted that the operation was not actually a war because "we've done very little fighting" recently after sweeping strikes months ago in which some Iranian leaders were killed. The President said: "We wiped out their leaders, first level of leaders, the second level of leaders, and they've asked us, please stop doing that, and we will." Tehran said contacts between Iran and the United States to end their eight-month war are continuing. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said: "Consultations through mediators are very intensive. We have presented our conditions and proposals and everything depends on the political rationality of Washington." Amid fears the conflict could reignite after Tuesday's midterm elections in the United States, China and Russia both spoke out against the possibility of renewed military action in a war that has hit the global economy. Follow related topics: