U.S. struck Iran's Qeshm Island in a secret campaign, Wall Street Journal reports, as Trump talks down a wider war
Editorial illustration — Press Pass USAThe United States attacked Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal, in the latest of a series of limited strikes Washington has secretly carried out in recent weeks even as President Donald Trump publicly played down the prospect of a wider war after Tuesday's midterm elections.
Explosions were reported around Qeshm on Monday on social media, and Iran's state media outlet IRNA reported several explosions on the island, which sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported. The U.S. military has not publicly announced the attack, and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the Journal, two incidents took place on Monday: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired a surface-to-air missile at a U.S. jet fighter, which fired back in self-defense, and in a separate incident U.S. forces intercepted a Revolutionary Guard missile that originated from Qeshm and was targeting commercial shipping. Some officials described the assaults as defensive in nature, aimed at preventing Iran from having the freedom to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Unlike earlier in the war, the United States has purposefully kept the recent campaign quiet so as not to signal any intention of resuming major combat operations, one official told the Journal. Qeshm, an island at the mouth of the strait, is home to a large underground missile site as well as a naval base and a major desalination plant. The United States has previously targeted the island in earlier rounds of the fighting, and officials have discussed seizing it, the Journal reported.
The report landed on the same day Trump raised doubts about whether he would follow through on a threatened resumption of military strikes against Iran, saying a deal with Tehran could happen. Asked by reporters on Monday if he was considering striking Iran after the midterms, Trump replied "no," although administration officials told the Journal the president was still weighing all his options.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters Monday in Tehran that "the ball is in the U.S. court" on any prospective deal to end the war. Tehran said Monday that contacts with the United States to end the war are continuing, after days of Iranian talks with Qatari mediators ended with altered proposals but no breakthrough, Reuters reported.
The Journal also reported that Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, visited the White House last week to brief Trump on the conflict, and that Central Command has laid the groundwork for broader strikes, including moving more missile defenses and munitions into the region in recent weeks. The United States has already told Gulf nations to prepare for a short and intense operation shortly after the election, the Journal reported. The Defense Department referred questions to Central Command.
Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Tuesday after the report, Reuters reported, with Brent crude futures up 0.5% to $105.25 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate up 0.5% to $96.93, on concerns about an escalation of the eight-month conflict and prolonged disruptions to Middle East oil supplies. The U.S.-Iran conflict, which began in late February, has sharply reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which previously carried about a fifth of global crude oil and natural gas supplies.
No details on damage or casualties from Monday's strike have been reported, and the Pentagon has not confirmed the operation. This is a developing story.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, "U.S. Strikes Iran's Qeshm Island as Trump Talks Down War Risks" (Nov. 2, 2026); Reuters, "US struck Iran's Qeshm Island, Wall Street Journal reports" (Nov. 3, 2026); Reuters, "Oil rises after report of US strike on Iran's Qeshm Island" (Nov. 3, 2026); New York Post, "US forces hit Iran's Qeshm Island as part of a series of secret strikes: report" (Nov. 2, 2026).
Sponsored