US strikes Iran's Qeshm island: Report

On Monday, the United States conducted a strike against Iran's Qeshm Island, according to the Wall Street Journal, as President Donald Trump suggested progress in negotiations with Tehran to conclude the ongoing eight-month conflict. The Journal, relying on anonymous US officials, described the attack on Qeshm, the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz, as among a series of limited strikes secretly carried out by Washington in recent weeks.

Reports from Iranian state news agency IRNA indicated five successive explosions on the island, with some residents observing two aircraft in its airspace.

The Pentagon referred inquiries about the reported strikes to US Central Command, which did not promptly provide a response to AFP's request for comment later that day. The Journal further reported that the US had been involved in smaller-scale strikes against Iran for several weeks. CNN, citing three US officials, corroborated the Qeshm strikes, labeling them as defensive in nature and aimed at safeguarding US assets in the region.

One official cited by CNN stated that the US attack was a response to Iran firing at a US aircraft, while another official emphasized that the strikes were defensive measures designed to protect US assets. Another source familiar with the situation told CNN that the administration had kept the attack under wraps to avoid overstating the defensive action and to prevent Iran from attacking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the US not publicly announcing the strikes, the aim was to prevent any indication of a return to major combat operations.

On the same day, amidst the reported strikes, Trump stated that a deal with Tehran could potentially be reached. Oil prices, triggered by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and subsequently plummeted nearly seven percent on Monday, reflecting optimism regarding a possible resolution to the conflict. Iran claimed that a US drone had been downed, and reports suggested Iran had used unarmed spotters in small boats to target potential US naval vessels.

Trump hinted at the possibility of renewed action against Iran in the near future, with Iran warning of a wider retaliation should the US continue its aggressive stance.