US conducts defensive strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island

The United States carried out defensive strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday night, the first such attack on the island since June.

According to U.S. officials, the strikes were aimed at Iranian forces using surface‑to‑air missiles against U.S. assets in the Strait of Hormuz. The Wall Street Journal reported that the operation appeared limited and did not constitute a major new offensive.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA said several explosions were heard on the island and that two aircraft were seen flying over the site. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had earlier claimed to have downed a U.S. MQ‑9 drone east of the strait.

The attacks come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts led by Qatar to prevent a wider war that began on 28 February, when the United States and Israel launched strikes across Iran. Those strikes closed the Strait of Hormuz, raised oil and gas prices and damaged military, civil and energy infrastructure.

Qatari mediators have been shuttling between Doha and Tehran, conveying messages from both sides. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said intensive consultations were underway and that any agreement depended on Washington’s political will. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had authorised the government to pursue dialogue with the United States.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance expressed hope for a diplomatic resolution, while both sides continue to exchange mixed signals on the ground.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: Rasul Yarichev / Pexels.