Trump launches assault on Iran on eve of midterm elections

Donald Trump has authorized defensive strikes on Iranian targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz just one day before the midterm elections, a US official confirmed. 

Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island. The official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said that ‘Iranians using surface to air missiles against U.S. assets’ had been targeted.

The strikes appeared to be limited as opposed to a return to full hostilities but followed President Donald Trump previously saying the US would not launch new strikes on Iran before Tuesday’s midterms. 

The unpopular war and the resulting impact on US gasoline prices and other parts of the economy have been a vulnerability for Republicans as they try to keep control of Congress.

The region is on edge about the prospects of the US resuming full-scale operations against Iran, and the new strikes, which were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, are certain to raise fresh concerns. 

Backchannel negotiations also are playing out as Israel and some Middle East allies lobby Trump on the way ahead in the more than 8-month-old war that’s rattled global markets and wreaked havoc on Iran.

The strikes came on the eve of crucial American midterm elections. Trump has previously said the US wouldn’t launch strikes on Iran before the midterms.

‘We had a war with Iran. We won,’ the President said during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity Monday. 

‘I don’t know if you even call it a war because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months.’ 

Trump compared the current Middle East conflict to historic US battles overseas in the 20th Century.

‘I mean, what’s a war? A war is a war, a war is fighting,’ he said. 

‘Take a look at World War I, World War II, there’s fighting. When was the last time you saw us fighting with them? We go months and months.’ 

He then claimed the strikes were equivalent to something he called a ‘soft war.’

‘This isn’t a war. it’s a very soft war. But this isn’t like a war that’s going on. There’s no war raging. It could happen if they don’t make a deal,’ he said. 

Officials told WSJ the strikes were meant to stop Iran from being able to attack allied ships in the Strait of Hormuz. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House, CENTCOM and the Pentagon for comment.

The administration was last known to have carried out some attacks in early September, but thousands of US troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers carrying Iranian oil from getting to the global market. 

Plus, a third aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are on their way to the Middle East.

Earlier Monday, Vice President JD Vance offered measured optimism that a deal can still be struck to prevent Trump from following through on his threat to potentially order new strikes on Iran after the midterm elections.

Vance sent a letter to Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, last week, but the White House has offered scant details about the contents of that correspondence. 

Trump told reporters that letter was focused on assisting Iran with ‘medical supplies and various things.’

But Vance on Monday suggested there’s reason to believe that the US and Iran could still come to an agreement. 

‘We’ve had a number of good conversations with the Iranians,’ Vance told reporters on Monday when asked about the letter.

‘I actually just spoke with the president of the United States about an hour ago about this. Look, the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. We’re going to keep on working at it.’

Vance’s comments came as the region remains on edge about the prospects of the US resuming full-scale operations against Iran. 

The backchannel efforts are playing out as Israel and some Middle East allies lobby Trump on the way ahead in the 8-month-old war that’s rattled global markets and wreaked havoc on Iran.

Iran wants guarantees that the US will implement its side of any agreement. 

The US and Israel have twice attacked Iran while it was engaged in negotiations over its disputed nuclear program.

Iranian officials say publicly they are prepared for war or diplomacy.

The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, met with Iran’s military chiefs and said the response to ‘any kind and level of threat’ from the US or Israel should be immediate and without ‘geographic limits,’ and urged an expansion of the list of potential targets.