U.S. forces reportedly carried out a limited operation on Iran’s Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, Nov. 3, local time. (Foto: Instagram)
U.S. forces carried out a small-scale operation against Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Nov. 2, according to Iranian state media and The Wall Street Journal. The reported operation took place in the early hours of Tuesday, Nov. 3, local time.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported that five explosions were heard in succession on the island. Residents reportedly also saw two aircraft flying over the area.
In a statement, the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they had detected two U.S. MQM-170 drones over Qeshm. The statement said the aircraft may have been searching for Iranian air defense systems on the island and that both drones were shot down.
A military source confirmed the U.S. operation to The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that its purpose was to prevent further Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The Qeshm operation would be the first U.S. military action against Iran since September, according to the report. The island is considered important to Iran’s economic and military strategy.
The reported strike came a day before U.S. midterm elections, which will determine new members of Congress, and amid renewed negotiations between the United States and Iran. Qatar and Pakistan are mediating the talks, which began late last month but had not produced an outcome at the time of the report.
