US carries out 'defensive' strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island

The US carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in ⁠the Strait of Hormuz, a US official said.

The strikes, earlier reported by the Wall Street Journal, appeared to be limited and were not a resumption of major combat operations, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Another official said the strikes were defensive measures against ‌Iranians using surface-to-air ⁠missiles against US assets.

The Pentagon referred a request for comment to the US Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East.

CENTCOM did not respond to requests for comment.

Earlier, ‌Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported that there were several explosions on Qeshm Island.

The ⁠WSJ reported that the attack was the ‌latest in a series of strikes carried out by Washington ⁠in ‌recent weeks.

Fox News, citing officials, said the strikes were defensive and carried out in response to Iran firing at a US ⁠aircraft.

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump hinted at renewing attacks on ⁠Iran after the US midterm elections.

However, after a speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, he indicated he might be thinking otherwise.