US strikes Iranian island as talks on Hormuz continue

The United States has carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz while indirect talks on reopening the waterway continue through Qatar. President Donald Trump confirmed the attack on Tuesday, calling it a “minor attack” that “wasn’t war.” Iran says Washington’s answer to its terms for reopening the strait is “unconvincing.” For readers abroad, the strait is the world’s key oil route, so what happens here moves fuel prices everywhere.

The strike hit Qeshm Island, the largest island in the strait. The Wall Street Journal first reported it, and Iranian media confirmed it. The timing is unclear: Al Jazeera says it happened early Tuesday, while other outlets describe it as Monday night. US officials told US media the strikes were defensive and followed Iranian fire at an American aircraft, aimed at protecting US assets and stopping Iran from attacking commercial ships. Trump told Fox News the target was an anti-aircraft facility that Iran took about two months to build. “We watched it get built,” he said, and the US hit it “as soon as it was completed.” Iran has warned of retaliation, and I could not verify any damage figures or casualties from either side.

The strike sits uneasily with Trump’s earlier statements that the US would not attack before the vote. Outlook India reports he indicated he was not considering resuming attacks after Tuesday’s election, while US media, citing officials, report that Central Command has plans for strikes that could start as early as Wednesday, with three American aircraft carriers in the region. Earlier reports describe the planned campaign as short and intense. In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said “we seem to be getting everything we want,” and on Tuesday he said he is “not looking to kill lots of people” but that “if we have to, we’ll have to.” I could not find confirmation that any wider strikes had begun by Wednesday.

The talks themselves are alive but stuck. Iran’s proposal would reopen the strait over two days if the US meets seven demands, including lifting sanctions and ending its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote on X that the US reply “was not convincing” and that Washington must “fully and explicitly” address all seven conditions before the strait reopens. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, said talks continue, that both sides “remain committed,” and that Qatar is passing proposals back and forth in real time. Al Jazeera also reports that Iranian hardliners are turning against President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has signalled more diplomacy, which could limit his room to compromise.

Shipping remains under attack. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said two unidentified projectiles hit a tanker’s engine room about 14 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, with no casualties reported. Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed four tankers hit mines after switching off tracking systems and using unauthorised routes, said it seized two more vessels, and said it destroyed two US drones. Those claims could not be independently verified or linked to the UKMTO incident. Iranian officials have also suggested European countries and undersea cables in the Gulf could be targets.

Analysts are divided on what another round of bombing would achieve. US political scientist John Mearsheimer asked how a short campaign could work “if the 40-day bombing campaign didn’t work,” and warned that Iranian retaliation could draw the US into a longer fight. Markets are reacting to each signal: AFP reported oil fell by more than 7% on Monday on hopes for an end to the conflict, before the strike news.

What is known and what is not: the Qeshm strike, Trump’s confirmation, the stalled talks and the tanker incident are reported by several outlets. Who fired first, whether larger strikes are coming and whether Iran will accept a reduced deal are not known. This is a news summary of a fast-moving story.

Sources: Al Jazeera, AFP via ARY News, Gulf News, Gulf News (WSJ report), Times of Israel, AP via Goulburn Post, Outlook India, The Jerusalem Post, investingLive, Antiwar.com, NewsBytes and NewsX.