Washington has reportedly been quietly bombing Iranian targets as fears of a wider conflict mount ahead of the midterm elections
The United States has carried out a series of unannounced airstrikes against Iran in recent weeks, including an attack on Qeshm Island near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the Wall Street Journal, NewsNation and Fox News have reported, citing American officials.
The strikes have been deliberately kept limited and out of the public eye to avoid signaling a return to full-scale hostilities ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, the Journal reported. Some officials described the operations as “defensive,” claiming they were intended to prevent Iran from threatening commercial shipping through the strait.
According to NewsNation, the US strikes targeted Iranian radar systems and missile launchers. A US official told Fox News that the attack came in response to Iranian forces firing at an American aircraft, insisting it did not signal a renewed military campaign.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) previously claimed to have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone east of the Strait of Hormuz and captured two MQM-170 reconnaissance drones near Qeshm. Iranian media also released footage purporting to show the drone being destroyed, although its authenticity has not been independently verified.
US and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, with Iran shooting down an MQ-9 Reaper drone and US aircraft striking Iranian sites on Qeshm Island. https://t.co/CykGeTJiXG
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 3, 2026
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported five powerful explosions on Qeshm Island late Monday, citing a correspondent who said the blasts occurred in rapid succession and appeared to have struck the island itself. Residents also reported seeing two aircraft overhead.
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