▲ Off the coast of Iran's Geshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz
The United States struck Iran's strategic island of Geshm in the Strait of Hormuz on November 2 (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing U.S. officials.
Officials explained that the strike was a defensive measure designed to prevent Iran from freely attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier that day, the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran stated that a tanker operating off-course in the eastern Strait of Hormuz had collided with a mine, causing a fire.
A U.S. official told CNN that the strike was in response to an Iranian attack on a U.S. military aircraft.
However, the official did not mention the specific timing or details of the Iranian attack.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, did not make an official announcement regarding the strike and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the WSJ.
The U.S. has carried out limited airstrikes against Iran in recent weeks and has kept them confidential to avoid signaling an intention to resume large-scale military operations, an official said.
According to an official cited by CNN, the Donald Trump administration deliberately kept the fact of the strike secret on this day as well, so that the U.S. "defensive measure" would not be exaggerated.
This suggests that the United States, which continues behind-the-scenes negotiations with Iran, is exercising restraint regarding additional military responses as much as possible.
Speaking on Truth Social on the same day—just one day before the U.S. midterm elections—President Trump said, "Iran wants a deal, and they want it as fast as possible. (The deal) can happen!"
In a subsequent interview with Fox News, President Trump stated that there is currently no all-out military conflict with Iran, adding, "We're just talking. This is not a war. This is a 'soft war.'"
When asked by reporters whether he was considering resuming attacks on Iran after the election, Trump replied briefly, "No." In an interview with the U.S. online media outlet Axios, regarding whether attacks on Iran would resume, he remarked, "We're going to do something one way or the other, but there's no need to rush."
Vice President JD Vance also said during a midterm election campaign rally that several good discussions had been held with the Iranian side, stating, "Both the president and I feel pretty good about the prospect that a deal can be made. We will continue to work on it."
Earlier, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that multiple explosions were heard in the early hours of the day near Geshm Island, a key stronghold in the Strait of Hormuz.
Geshm Island is a core Iranian military base and a hub densely packed with major oil and gas infrastructure.
Large-scale energy infrastructure used to store crude oil and natural gas produced near the Persian Gulf and load them onto transport vessels has also been established on Geshm Island.
Around the same time, explosions were also heard in Bandar Abbas, a port city near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency.
International oil prices plunged more than 7% on expectations of peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, but rebounded slightly after news of the U.S. strike on Geshm Island broke.
Brent crude futures for December delivery settled down 7.63% the previous day at $104.77 per barrel before trading up about 1% in the $106 range.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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