TEHRAN: An apparent limited U.S. strike on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, carried out hours before Tuesday’s midterm elections, is fueling speculation about the trajectory of the conflict.
For weeks, President Donald Trump has signaled he was weighing a new wave of strikes on Iran following the elections. Days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Trump to resume military action, according to two regional officials and a third source familiar with the discussions.
The Middle East and the broader international community have been bracing for the possibility of the U.S. restarting full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in nearly two months.
Diplomatic efforts to avert such an escalation continue, with other American allies in the region urging Washington not to reignite the more than eight-month-old war that has shaken the global economy and devastated Iran.
Trump has vacillated between threatening major military action and pursuing a negotiated deal with Tehran.
The unpopular conflict and its impact on U.S. gasoline prices and the wider economy have posed a political liability for his Republican Party as it seeks to retain control of Congress.
Strikes Targeted Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Iranian state media reported explosions on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Monday that the strikes targeted Iranian forces using surface-to-air missiles against American assets in the strait.
Iranian Official Demands U.S. Address Conditions
The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tuesday that the U.S. response to Tehran’s demands to end the war was unconvincing.
Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei wrote on social media that the strait would not reopen until the U.S. addresses Iran’s conditions.
Iran has offered to reopen the strait and resume talks on its nuclear program if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and observes a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.
Vice President Vance Expresses Optimism on Diplomacy
Back-channel negotiations have unfolded as Israel and some Middle Eastern allies lobby Trump.
Speaking before the U.S. official confirmed the strikes, Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and Trump “both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.”
The Trump administration last conducted attacks in early September. However, thousands of U.S. troops remain in waters off Iran to enforce a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching global markets. An additional aircraft carrier and thousands more troops are en route to the region.
Netanyahu pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. elections during a weekend call with Trump, according to two regional officials and a third person briefed on the matter. The officials said diplomatic efforts have progressed, with mediators working on a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the strait in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade.
The two officials spoke anonymously because they were discussing classified briefings received from American and, in one case, Israeli officials. The third person, briefed on the call, was not authorized to comment publicly and also spoke on condition of anonymity.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has called on Iran and the U.S. to engage in dialogue and reach an agreement to resolve their conflict, warning against further military escalation in the region.
Iranians Watch U.S. Elections for Policy Shift
Some Tehran residents expressed hope that the midterm elections could alter U.S. policy.
“The American people need to make a fundamental decision and bring about real change. They need to put an end to the leadership of someone who is so extreme and who runs things through lies, someone who supports Israel, a country that is literally killing children,” said 69-year-old Reza Rezaei.
Others were less optimistic.
“It doesn’t really make much difference who comes into power,” said Raheleh Movahhed, also of Tehran. “The American government and its policies have always had a problem with us. I’m not talking about the American people, mind you. I’m talking about their policies.”
Iran’s Chief Negotiator Places Onus on U.S. to Avert War
Iranian state television quoted the country’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, as saying Tuesday that Iran had “delivered a firm and rational response to the American side. The ball is now in America’s court to prevent war.” It was not immediately clear which specific response he referenced.
Qalibaf also warned that Iran’s armed forces remained at the highest level of defensive readiness.
“If Washington makes another strategic miscalculation, it should know that this time it will face a new battlefield and will find itself even more desperate than it is today,” he said.
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