US military strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island day before midterms

The U.S. military struck radar detectors and missile launchers on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday, a day before the U.S. midterm elections as mediators continue to push the two sides to reach a peace deal.

The Monday attack is a continuation of strikes against Iran and was defensive in nature, a U.S. official told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network.

“This was a defensive measure for Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets,” the official said.

The U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

Qeshm is located in the Strait of Hormuz and is the biggest island in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. military has previously targeted the island that is a home to a naval base and an underground missile site.

The strikes, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, come as President Trump has said the Iran conflict would end soon after midterms.

The president has signaled that launching major combat operations is on the table after November, but Iranian officials have said it is up to the Trump administration to determine to what comes next.

“The ball is in the U.S. court, because our demands have been stated very clearly and transparently, and Iran’s demands are reasonable and logical,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters on Monday.

Qatar, with the backing of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, is leading the effort to return Iran and the U.S. to the negotiating table.

Centcom has prepared multiple Iran strike options — including targeting Iranian infrastructure and military sites — that could be employed if there is authorization from the White House, The Hill previously reported .

“We had a war with Iran. We won,” the president told reporters on Monday. “I don’t know if you even call it a war because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months.”