The United States struck Iran’s Qeshm Island, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing US officials, amid renewed tensions over Washington’s negotiations with Tehran and the possibility of resuming military operations.The US military’s attack triggered a series of explosions on the island, located in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported.The strikes were part of a series of limited military operations carried out by Washington in recent weeks, the WSJ said, adding that the attacks had been deliberately kept secret and conducted on a smaller scale to avoid signalling an intention to resume its broader military campaign against Iran.The developments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly pressed US President Donald Trump to consider fresh military action against Iran after Tuesday’s US midterm elections.Trump and Netanyahu held a telephone conversation on Saturday to discuss Washington’s negotiations with Tehran and the possibility of resuming military operations, Axios reported, citing one Israeli and one US source.According to the report, Netanyahu urged Trump to launch fresh strikes after the elections, while the US president wanted to allow diplomatic efforts to continue for now. An Israeli source described the conversation as “tough”, while a US source called it “direct”.Earlier on Monday, Trump cast doubt on whether he would follow through on his threat to resume military strikes against Iran, while indicating that a diplomatic agreement remained possible.Asked by reporters whether he was considering striking Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections, Trump replied, “No.”US Vice President JD Vance on Monday expressed optimism that Washington and Tehran could still reach a deal to prevent President Donald Trump from ordering fresh strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections.Vance sent a letter to Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei last week, but the White House has shared few details about its contents. Trump said the letter focused on helping Iran with “medical supplies and various things”.“We’ve had a number of good conversations with the Iranians,” Vance told reporters, adding that he had spoken to Trump about the matter.“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,” he said.The US and Iran have been at war since February 28, with Washington and Tehran continuing to explore the possibility of a diplomatic settlement even as tensions remain high.
