By Salma El-Sakka
US forces carried out limited defensive strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, US officials told CBS News. The strikes were in response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) firing on a US aircraft, officials said.
Iranian response and drone claims
Iran's state news agency IRNA reported explosions on Qeshm Island. The IRGC said its forces shot down two US MQM-170 drones south of the island and a US MQ-9 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz. The US military has not commented on the strikes.
Political context and Trump's stance
The strikes come as mediators intensify efforts to prevent a return to all-out war following Tuesday's US midterm elections. President Donald Trump faces declining poll numbers and pressure from within his Republican Party to end the conflict that began in February when the US and Israel attacked Iran.
Earlier Monday, Trump told reporters he was in "no rush" to escalate strikes, saying the US had "crippled them financially." In a Fox News interview, he mentioned possibly targeting "Pickaxe Mountain," an underground site linked to Iran's nuclear programme, calling it "not a big deal" that could be done in "one hour."
Diplomatic efforts and regional dynamics
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly urged Trump in a weekend phone call for another wave of strikes on Iran after the midterms. Iran's chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated the ball is in America's court to prevent war, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said "very intensive" talks were underway via Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said both sides were reviewing proposals and remained committed to negotiations. A preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz collapsed in June after Iranian attacks on shipping resumed and the US reinstated its blockade.
Strait of Hormuz impact
The strait, through which a fifth of global oil and gas shipments pass, has been effectively closed since the war began. Iran has targeted vessels using a southern route through Omani waters, while the US military provides protection for tankers shuttling oil through the strait.
