The United States military has reportedly conducted limited airstrikes on Iran’s strategically important Qeshm Island, in what Washington described as a protective operation to safeguard American interests in the region.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, US forces carried out the strikes on Monday following an incident in which Iran allegedly launched surface-to-air missiles towards an American aircraft.
A US official quoted by the newspaper disclosed that American military personnel also intercepted a missile launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from Qeshm Island, which was reportedly targeting commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest operation is said to be part of a series of limited military strikes Washington has discreetly carried out against Iranian targets in recent weeks without publicly announcing them.
The official reportedly said the US deliberately kept the operations confidential to avoid creating the impression that Washington intended to resume full-scale military hostilities with Tehran.
Meanwhile, Iran’s state-linked Fars News Agency confirmed that several explosions rocked Qeshm Island early Tuesday morning. The blasts were reportedly heard in neighbouring Hengam Island and the port city of Bandar Abbas.
Qeshm Island, located approximately 14 miles from Bandar Abbas, holds significant strategic importance because of its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes.
The waterway facilitates the transportation of approximately 20 per cent of global oil supplies, making it a major point of interest in the ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The reported strikes come amid renewed diplomatic developments, with US President Donald Trump suggesting on Monday that negotiations with Iran were still ongoing.
In a social media statement, Trump indicated that a potential agreement with Tehran remained possible, despite the growing military tensions between both countries.
Comments