U.S. military carries out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island

The U.S. military carried out limited strikes Monday on Iran’s Qeshm Island, according to two U.S. officials. The officials said the U.S. attacks, which came on the eve of crucial U.S. midterm elections and as the Middle East is anxious about the possibility of a return to all-out war, were not a resumption of major combat operations in Iran. They described the attacks as self-defense in response to Iran’s ongoing efforts to target maritime shipping and U.S. assets. The U.S. continues to intercept drones and missiles that are targeting shipping every day, one of the U.S. officials said. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has routinely targeted and shot at U.S.

manned and unmanned aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz and in the area over the past few weeks, one of the U.S. officials said. The U.S. is occasionally striking Iranian missile launchers in self-defense when the Revolutionary Guard shoots at U.S. aircraft, the official said. Iran tried to target a U.S. aircraft again, leading to the U.S. strike on Qeshm to take out the launcher, the official said, calling it part of ongoing operations. A third U.S. official said, “This was a defensive measure for Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets.” Iranian state media reported that five explosions were heard Monday on Qeshm Island. President Donald Trump had said