U.S. strikes Iran's Qeshm Island day before election ... “A defensive measure against attacks on ships”

[Financial News] The United States attacked Qeshm Island, a strategically important location for Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, on the 2nd, local time, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing U.S. officials.
Officials described the attack as a defensive measure intended to prevent Iran from freely attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier that day, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said a tanker that had strayed from its route in the eastern Strait of Hormuz struck a mine and caught fire.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, made no official announcement about the attack and did not immediately respond to the WSJ's request for comment.
A U.S. official said the United States had continued carrying out limited airstrikes against Iran in recent weeks and was keeping them secret to avoid signaling an intention to resume large-scale military operations.
Earlier that day, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency also reported that several explosions were heard near Qeshm Island. Iranian authorities have not issued an official statement on the matter.
Qeshm Island is a key Iranian military stronghold, equipped with a large underground missile base, a naval base, and major seawater desalination facilities. Major oil and gas infrastructure is also concentrated there.
U.S. President Donald Trump had dismissed the possibility of immediately resuming attacks targeting Iran after the midterm elections scheduled for the 3rd.
When reporters asked him that day whether he was considering resuming attacks on Iran after the election, he briefly replied, “No.” In an interview with the U.S. online outlet Axios, he also said, regarding whether to resume attacks on Iran, “One way or another, we will do something, but there is no need to rush.”


[email protected] Lee Seok-woo, International Affairs Correspondent Reporter