US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island, reports say

On Monday, the US military reportedly conducted a strike on Iran's Qeshm Island, as per media outlets citing American officials. The Wall Street Journal was among the first to report on this incident, which occurred following Iranian state media accounts of multiple explosions on the island. Qeshm Island is located on the Strait of Hormuz.

This attack marks the most recent in a series of limited strikes carried out by the US in recent weeks, according to the Journal. These strikes have been intentionally kept small and discreet to avoid signaling any intention to resume a major military campaign against Iran. Other news sources characterized the attack as a defensive action in response to Iran's recent strikes on US assets.

However, the US Central Command has not yet commented on the matter. Following the announcement of the strikes, oil prices experienced a slight increase in early Asian trading. Brent crude futures climbed by 0.5% to $105.25 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude also rose by 0.5% to $96.93 a barrel. These price movements sparked concerns about an escalation of the conflict and the potential for prolonged disruptions to oil supplies in the Middle East.

Earlier on Monday, President Donald Trump expressed uncertainty about whether he would proceed with resuming military strikes against Iran, especially in the context of the upcoming midterm elections. When asked by reporters if he was contemplating striking Iran after the elections, Trump stated, "no." He added, "We had a war with Iran.

We won." Trump further commented, "I don’t know if you even call it a war because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months." The ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran dates back to February 28.