US strikes Iranian island of Qeshm as Trump declares war over

The United States has attacked the strategically important Iranian island of Qeshm, according to American sources, coinciding with President Donald Trump's claim that the war is over. The strike is the latest in a series of smaller, covert U.S. attacks on Iran over recent weeks. The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reports the attacks were deliberately kept secret to avoid signaling plans for a larger military operation, and have not been officially confirmed by Washington. Trump told journalists Monday that "we had a war with Iran and we won," despite the reported ongoing actions. Iran's foreign ministry says the ball is in America's court for a deal, while warning of retaliation inside and outside the Middle East if conflict escalates. The U.S. has reportedly prepared plans for a short, intense post-election operation, with Gulf states notified.