New York, USA (Weltexpress). The US military struck Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
According to the newspaper, “the US attacked Iran’s Qeshm Island <…> in the latest of a series of limited strikes Washington has secretly carried out against the country in recent weeks.” Unnamed US administration officials described the strikes as defensive. The report noted that US authorities are deliberately keeping the strikes under wraps to avoid signaling any intention to resume full-scale hostilities.
US President Donald Trump said earlier on Monday that he did not intend to resume military action against Iran immediately after the midterm elections to Congress, which will be held on November 3. US Vice President JD Vance said the same day that “some progress” had been made in consultations between the United States and Iran on ending the conflict.
The United States and Israel began the war with Iran on February 28. Washington and Tehran signed the memorandum of understanding in June, providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. However, the US resumed large-scale strikes on Iran overnight on July 8, accusing Tehran of violating the terms of the agreement regarding the Strait of Hormuz. About 25% of global oil trade and around 20% of liquefied natural gas trade pass through the strait. The US administration then effectively signaled an end to the use of large-scale military force against Iran and a shift toward an attempt to economically strangle the country through sanctions.
