U.S. Strikes Iran's Qeshm Island Before Midterms

The U.S. military carried out limited strikes Monday, Nov. 2, on Iran's Qeshm Island, according to two U.S. officials cited by NBC News.

The officials said the strikes were not a resumption of major combat operations in Iran. They described the attacks as self-defense in response to Iran's ongoing efforts to target maritime shipping and U.S. assets.

Iran tried again to target a U.S. aircraft, leading to the strike on Qeshm to take out a missile launcher, one official said, describing it as part of ongoing operations. A third U.S. official said, "This was a defensive measure for Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets."

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has routinely targeted and fired on U.S. manned and unmanned aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, according to one official. The U.S. continues to intercept drones and missiles aimed at shipping every day, the official said, and occasionally strikes Iranian missile launchers when the Revolutionary Guard fires on U.S. aircraft.

Iranian state media reported that five explosions were heard Monday on Qeshm Island.

The strikes came on the eve of Tuesday's midterm elections. President Donald Trump had said the U.S. would not launch strikes on Iran before the vote, NBC reported. The war and its effect on gasoline prices have been a vulnerability for Republicans as they try to keep control of Congress, according to NBC.

The administration was last known to have carried out attacks in early September. Thousands of U.S. troops remain in waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade meant to keep tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching the global market. A third aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are headed to the Middle East.

Diplomatic talks between the two countries continue. Iran's top negotiator said Tuesday that "the ball is now in America's court to prevent a war," NBC reported.

Vice President JD Vance offered measured optimism Monday that a deal could still prevent Trump from following through on his threat to potentially order new strikes after the midterms. Vance sent a letter last week to Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei. The White House has released few details, and Trump told reporters the letter focused on assisting Iran with "medical supplies and various things."

"We've had a number of good conversations with the Iranians," Vance told reporters. He said he and Trump "both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. We're going to keep on working at it."