US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island as Vance signals hope for a deal

The United States launched limited strikes on Iran late Monday, reportedly targeting surface-to-air missiles on Qeshm Island, according to Iranian state media and US news outlets. The action came hours before crucial US midterm elections and followed Vice President JD Vance's expression of optimism about a diplomatic deal. The strikes, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, were described as defensive and part of a series of smaller, unpublicized attacks in recent weeks, not signaling a return to full hostilities. US Central Command did not immediately comment, and the cause of explosions on the island, located in the Strait of Hormuz, was initially unclear. The attack would be the first publicly known US strike on Iran in weeks, amid ongoing tensions over Iran's closure of the strait to shipping. President Donald Trump downplayed the conflict, suggesting a deal was likely, while noting the US might still target a suspected nuclear facility in central Iran.