US strikes on Iranian island raise stakes ahead of midterm elections

Reports of strikes and drones

US officials told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that American forces had carried out strikes on Qeshm Island. Iran’s state news agency Irna also reported explosions on the island on Monday.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps did not comment on the reported strikes. It said its forces had shot down two US MQM-170 drones south of Qeshm and a US MQ-9 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump faces pressure over war

Trump described the possible action as “not a big deal” and said it could be carried out in “one hour”. The Associated Press, citing two regional officials, reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Trump during a weekend phone call to launch another wave of strikes after the midterms.

Diplomacy continues amid tension

Iran’s chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Tuesday that “the ball is now in America’s court to prevent war”. The report did not specify what he was referring to.

Hormuz remains a key flashpoint

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical shipping route, normally carrying a fifth of global oil and gas shipments. It was effectively closed after the war began, amid Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and a US naval blockade. Iran has said it will retain some control over the waterway and began targeting vessels taking a southern route through Omani waters, which avoids its preferred passage through Iranian waters.