The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, that the United States struck Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. A US official described the strikes as defensive, aimed at Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets. Iranian state media reported explosions on the island. The strike came on the eve of the US midterm elections.
Earlier, Trump told Right Side Broadcasting the conflict would end very soon, either through a deal or another US offensive, and at an Iowa rally warned that Iran could eventually face a heavy blow. The war began on 28 February 2026 with joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The Atlantic reported that he is considering blaming senior officials for the lack of progress and that a new operation could come soon after the midterms. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also fired the Pentagon’s top military planner, Lt Gen Brett Sylvia.
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker in the Gulf was hit by two unidentified projectiles about 72 nautical miles east of Ras al-Khafji. All crew are accounted for and no environmental impact has been reported.
Reporting note: this summary relies on the Times of Israel’s live coverage of other outlets’ reports and has not been independently verified.
Photo: NASA image using data provided courtesy of the University of Maryland’s Global Land Cover Facility / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
