Qeshm: Trump Confirms Strike on Iranian Air Defense Site
Iranian agencies reported five explosions on an island in the Strait of Hormuz, and the US president calls it a minor attack amid Qatari mediation.
The US military struck targets on the Iranian island of Qeshm overnight between November 2 and 3, and President Donald Trump confirmed the attack today. For Serbia, the news is not distant: the Strait of Hormuz carries a large share of the world’s oil, so any strike near it quickly shows up in the price of a barrel, and from there in fuel prices and the cost of energy imports.
What Iranian agencies reported
Late on Monday, November 2, five explosions went off in quick succession on Qeshm, the state Iranian agency IRNA reported. Witnesses told it they saw two aircraft over the island. The semi-official Fars agency also reported explosions near the port city of Bandar Lengeh, coming from the direction of the sea.
There was no independent confirmation of the cause, the target or the consequences, and no casualties have been reported. Authorities in Tehran and Washington initially did not comment on the events.
What Washington says
The Wall Street Journal, citing American officials, reported that the US military carried out the strike and that it is the latest in a series of limited strikes the US has been quietly conducting against Iran in recent weeks. Some officials told the paper the strikes were defensive and aimed at limiting Iran’s ability to attack commercial ships in the strait. One of them added that Washington deliberately kept the campaign quiet so as not to create the impression of a return to major combat operations.
The Associated Press quoted a US official saying the target was “Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against American assets”. Axios and Fox News reported that the strike was a response to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard firing at an American aircraft in the strait on Monday. Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin, citing a US official, said this is not the start of expanded American strikes.
In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump said an air defense site that Iran had built was hit, and called the attack minor:
“As soon as it was finished, we hit it last night, very nicely.”
Only a few hours earlier, in a conversation with Fox News host Sean Hannity, the American president had claimed his country is not at war with Iran. “This is not a war. This is a very mild war,” Trump said.
The Israeli military said it did not take part in the attack.
Drones: what the Guard claims and what Central Command says
On Monday the Revolutionary Guard claimed it had downed and captured two American MQM-170 reconnaissance drones south of Qeshm using electronic jamming, and destroyed an MQ-9 aircraft east of the strait. US Central Command rejected as false the claim of downing and capturing one MQM-170, while the Pentagon did not confirm the other claims.
An attack in the middle of negotiations
The strike came while Qatar is mediating talks on ending the conflict between the US and Iran, which has lasted eight months. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the Qatari delegation talked in Tehran for three hours instead of the planned one, and that “both sides showed commitment to a diplomatic path”.
On Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Iran wants a deal, as soon as possible.” Vice President JD Vance spoke about the outcome of the talks the same evening:
“We’ve had a series of good conversations with the Iranians. The president and I are pretty optimistic about the possibility of reaching a deal. We will keep working on it.”
The Iranian side is holding its position. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran has clearly conveyed its demands to Washington: “The ball is in the US court.” According to him, Iran’s plan to reopen the strait could be carried out in two days if the US lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports and guarantees an end to hostilities. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to the ISNA agency, after the attack on Qeshm: “The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to legitimate self-defense until military aggression is fully and permanently ended.”
The Associated Press reported, citing two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a new wave of strikes on Iran after the American elections.
Oil after news of the strike
Oil prices rose on Tuesday morning. US WTI gained $1.60 to $98.06 a barrel, and Brent gained $1.84 to $106.61, according to data at 07:44 GMT. A day earlier Trump had written that the price was falling “like a rock” because people believe there will be no war, and Gulf News, citing OilPrice.com, reported that Brent at one point lost more than eight percent on hopes of a diplomatic solution.
American congressional elections are being held today. Asked by reporters whether he is considering a strike on Iran after the elections, Trump answered: “No.”
