Iranian media report several explosions in Qeshm Island and Bandar Lengeh, as US media say the US military carried out the strikes.<\/p>\n
Published On 3 Nov 20263 Nov 2026<\/p>\n
Several explosions have been heard on Iran\u2019s Qeshm Island, as media outlets in the United States reported that the US military carried out what officials called \u201cdefensive strikes\u201d in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
The blasts came in rapid succession late on Monday, according to Iran\u2019s state-owned IRNA news agency. Witnesses told the agency they saw two planes flying over the island, located off Iran\u2019s southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
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The semi-official Fars news agency said explosions were also heard in the port city of Bandar Lengeh, coming from the direction of the sea.<\/p>\n
The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported that the US military carried out the strikes.<\/p>\n
Some officials told the Journal the strikes were defensive, aimed at restricting Iran\u2019s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. One official said Washington had deliberately kept the campaign quiet to avoid signalling a return to major combat operations.<\/p>\n
The Associated Press news agency also cited a US official as saying the US had conducted defensive strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz. The official said that \u201cIranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets\u201d had been targeted.<\/p>\n
Reporters with Fox News and Axios said the attacks were in response to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) firing at a US aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. Citing a US official, Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin said the incident did not mark \u201cthe start of expanded strikes by the US\u201d.<\/p>\n
There was no immediate comment from authorities in Iran or the US.<\/p>\n
US-Iran talks<\/p>\n
Earlier on Monday, the IRGC claimed it had captured two US drones, which it described as reconnaissance aircraft, south of Qeshm, using electronic warfare systems, and destroyed an MQ-9 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
The reported US attacks come on the eve of crucial midterm elections in the US, with US President Donald Trump\u2019s Republican Party fighting to keep control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.<\/p>\n
They also come amid intensifying diplomatic efforts to prevent renewed US and Israeli attacks on Iran.<\/p>\n
Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform on Monday, suggested that a deal with Iran could happen soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cOil Prices are dropping like a rock, down almost $10 a Barrel, a record, because people feel that there will not be a War with Iran,\u201d he wrote. \u201cIran wants a settlement, as soon as possible. It could happen!\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier, when asked by reporters if he was considering striking Iran after Tuesday\u2019s midterm elections, Trump replied \u201cno\u201d.<\/p>\n
US Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, expressed optimism about the negotiations before reports of the strikes emerged, telling reporters on Monday that he had discussed the talks with Trump earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a number of good conversations with the Iranians,\u201d he said when asked about a letter he sent last week to Iran\u2019s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei. \u201cThe president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. We\u2019re going to keep on working at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran\u2019s demands for peace had been clearly communicated to Washington and \u201cthe ball is in the US court\u201d.<\/p>\n