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The United States launched an attack on Qeshm Island in southern Iran, according to officials cited by the American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal," following reports by Iranian media of explosions heard on the island early Tuesday morning.
The attack follows statements by US President Donald Trump, in which he downplayed the likelihood of returning to war with Iran after the midterm elections held on Tuesday.
Trump told reporters on Monday: "We had a war with Iran and we won. I don't even know if you could call it a war, as we haven't had any fighting in months."
However, officials reported that the United States has been conducting smaller-scale strikes against Iran for several weeks, with some describing these attacks as defensive in nature, aimed at preventing Tehran from having the freedom to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Unlike what happened in earlier stages of the war, the United States did not announce these attacks.
One official stated that the United States is deliberately keeping this campaign under wraps, so as not to give any indication of an intent to resume large-scale combat operations.
Qeshm Island is located at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and houses a massive underground missile site, in addition to a naval base and a major water desalination plant.
The United States had targeted the island in previous combat rounds, and officials have discussed the possibility of taking control of it.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, 5 explosions were heard across Qeshm Island, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran.
The correspondent for the "IRNA" news agency on the island reported that the explosions occurred in rapid succession, noting that their intensity suggests they may have been strikes targeting sites inside the island.
According to "IRNA," some residents stated that they observed two aircraft in the skies over Qeshm Island.
In the same context, the Iranian "Fars" news agency reported hearing sounds of explosions from the direction of the sea in Bandar Lengeh, in Hormozgan province, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
So far, no official Iranian statement has been issued regarding these developments.
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