US forces reportedly launch limited strike on Iranian island of Qeshm

According to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, a U.S. fighter jet attacked a position of the Revolutionary Guard on the island on Monday (U.S. local time) after a rocket was fired from that location at a U.S. aircraft. CNN and CBS also reported on the “limited” attacks.

Iranian state media reported that the Revolutionary Guard had seized two additional U.S. reconnaissance drones using electronic systems south of Qeshm Island, and that a U.S. drone was destroyed east of the Strait of Hormuz.

The alleged attack occurred just one day before the U.S. congressional elections and a few hours after conciliatory tones from Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump explicitly denied further attacks on Iran following the midterm elections, while expressing confidence that an agreement with Tehran was possible. Vice President JD Vance also spoke of “good talks” and called the prospects for a negotiated solution promising.

Qeshm Island is located off the southern coast of Iran, directly on the Strait of Hormuz. A significant portion of the world’s traded oil and liquefied gas is transported through the strait, making the island one of the strategically most important points at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. According to various media reports and military experts, Qeshm hosts facilities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including a naval base and underground missile silos. From there, Iran could monitor ships in the Strait of Hormuz or threaten them in the event of a conflict.

Oil prices rose following reports of renewed U.S. military attacks on targets in Iran, temporarily halting a significant decline from the previous day. A barrel (159 liters) of Brent crude oil for delivery in January was trading at $106.12 on Tuesday morning, approximately 1.3 percent higher than on Monday. At the beginning of the week, the Brent price had fallen almost eight percent due to positive signals from Iran. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had given the green light for negotiations that could end the months-long conflict with the United States. Last week, the price was still at nearly $117.