According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials said that the U.S. military launched an attack on Gusham Island, Iran’s largest island, on November 2 local time. This is the most recent in a series of limited strikes that the U.S. has carried out against Iran over the past few weeks.
Before this attack, Trump had downplayed the possibility of reliving the war with Iran after the midterm elections.
"We have fought against Iran, and we won," Trump said to reporters on November 2. "I don’t know if you can call this a war, because we haven’t been at war for several months."
However, U.S. officials stated that the U.S. military has been carrying out smaller-scale attacks against Iran for several weeks. On November 2nd, news of explosions around Gusham Island appeared on social media. Some U.S. officials claimed that these attacks were defensive in nature, aimed at preventing Iran from attacking merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, unlike in the early stages of the conflict, the U.S. government did not publicly announce these attacks. An American official said that the U.S. intends to keep a low profile to avoid sending signals that large-scale military operations are about to resume.
Iran National News Agency (IRNA) reported earlier that five explosions occurred on Geshm Island in the early hours of the 3rd local time. Some residents said they saw two aircraft flying over the island.
For several weeks, Trump has been saying that after the midterm elections, the United States might resume a full-scale war against Iran. Senior US officials have been discussing the pros and cons of additional air strikes and have presented Trump with various options, including intensifying economic sanctions and blocking Iranian trade.
According to reports in The Wall Street Journal, last week, Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command, gave a briefing to Trump at the White House regarding Iran's military actions. Over the past few weeks, the U.S. Central Command has laid the groundwork for broader strikes, including deploying more missile defense systems and ammunition in the region.
Additionally, reports indicate that the United States has informed the Gulf countries to prepare for "short-term, high-intensity" military operations shortly after the midterm elections.
But hours before the first round of on-site voting, Trump softened his statements. He and U.S. Vice President Williams said that continuing negotiations to cancel Iran’s nuclear program might be feasible.
Trump also posted on social media, saying that oil prices have dropped "like stones, by about $10 per barrel, setting a record. Because people think there won't be a war with Iran. Iran wants to reach an agreement as soon as possible. This could happen."
On November 2nd, when asked whether he considered targeting Iran after the midterm elections, Trump gave a negative response. However, U.S. government officials said that Trump is still evaluating all options.
