Donald Trump has authorized defensive strikes against Iranian targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official confirmed just one day before the midterm elections.
Iranian state television reported hearing explosions on Qeshm Island. The U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said the strikes targeted “Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets.”
The operation appeared limited rather than a return to full-scale hostilities. However, it came after Trump had said the United States would not launch new strikes against Iran before Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The unpopular war, along with its effect on U.S. gasoline prices and other parts of the economy, has created a political vulnerability for Republicans seeking to retain control of Congress.
Tensions are already high across the region amid fears that the United States could resume full-scale military operations against Iran. The latest strikes, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, are likely to intensify those concerns.
At the same time, backchannel negotiations are continuing as Israel and several Middle Eastern allies press Trump over the next steps in the more than eight-month-old conflict, which has unsettled global markets and caused extensive damage in Iran.
The strikes were carried out on the eve of crucial U.S. midterm elections. Trump had previously said the United States would not attack Iran before the vote.
Donald Trump has authorized defensive strikes on Iranian targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz just one day before the midterm elections, a U.S. official confirmed. Pictured: A building destroyed on the island in September
Trump had previously said the United States would not launch strikes against Iran before the midterm elections
“We had a war with Iran. We won,” the president said during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday.
“I don’t know if you even call it a war because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months.”
Trump compared the current conflict in the Middle East with historic U.S. military campaigns overseas during the 20th century.
“I mean, what’s a war? A war is a war, a war is fighting,” he said.
“Take a look at World War I, World War II, there’s fighting. When was the last time you saw us fighting with them? We go months and months.”
He described the current confrontation as resembling what he called a “soft war.”
“This isn’t a war. It’s a very soft war. But this isn’t like a war that’s going on. There’s no war raging. It could happen if they don’t make a deal,” he said.
Officials told The Wall Street Journal that the strikes were intended to prevent Iran from attacking allied vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
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The Daily Mail has contacted the White House, U.S. Central Command and the Pentagon for comment.
The oil tanker Ateela 2 navigates the sea near Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz, on April 28, 2026
Earlier Monday, Vice President JD Vance expressed cautious optimism that a deal could still be reached, potentially preventing Trump from carrying out his threat to order further strikes against Iran after the midterm elections
The administration was last known to have carried out some attacks in early September, but thousands of US troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers carrying Iranian oil from getting to the global market.
Plus, a third aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are on their way to the Middle East.
Earlier Monday, Vice President JD Vance offered measured optimism that a deal can still be struck to prevent Trump from following through on his threat to potentially order new strikes on Iran after the midterm elections.
Vance sent a letter to Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, last week, but the White House has offered scant details about the contents of that correspondence.
Trump told reporters that letter was focused on assisting Iran with ‘medical supplies and various things.’
But Vance on Monday suggested there’s reason to believe that the US and Iran could still come to an agreement.
‘We’ve had a number of good conversations with the Iranians,’ Vance told reporters on Monday when asked about the letter.
‘I actually just spoke with the president of the United States about an hour ago about this. 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.’
Vance’s comments came as the region remains on edge about the prospects of the US resuming full-scale operations against Iran.
The backchannel efforts are playing out as Israel and some Middle East allies lobby Trump on the way ahead in the 8-month-old war that’s rattled global markets and wreaked havoc on Iran.
Iran wants guarantees that the US will implement its side of any agreement.
The US and Israel have twice attacked Iran while it was engaged in negotiations over its disputed nuclear program.
Iranian officials say publicly they are prepared for war or diplomacy.
The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, met with Iran’s military chiefs and said the response to ‘any kind and level of threat’ from the US or Israel should be immediate and without ‘geographic limits,’ and urged an expansion of the list of potential targets.