Veterans & National Security · Report · File No. 261103-023
Trump confirms U.S. strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island as voters cast midterm ballots
The president called the attack on a Strait of Hormuz site 'minor' while Iran's president said 'no one will benefit from this war.' The strikes land on Election Day, with talks still underway and gas at $4.17 a gallon.
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President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that the United States struck Iran, telling Fox News the target was an anti-aircraft facility on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. "They built an anti-aircraft facility … As soon as it was completed, we hit it last night very nicely," Trump said on the Fox & Friends show, calling it a "minor attack" 1.
The confirmation came after The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times and other outlets reported the strikes 1. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the strikes were defensive and targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets 2. Iranian state television reported explosions on Qeshm Island 2.
The attack landed as Americans voted in midterm elections that threaten Trump's grip on power, in a contest the wire copy describes as dominated by public dissatisfaction with the war and the inflation it has brought 1. The national average price of regular gasoline stood at $4.17 per gallon on Monday, according to AAA, which said crude oil above $100 a barrel was "limiting further declines at the pump" 2.
Iran signals readiness but keeps the door open
Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the Islamic republic was "ready for battle with its finger on the trigger," while deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran retained the right to "legitimate self-defense" 1. President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government was still trying to resolve the crisis "through dialogue," adding that "no one will benefit from this war" if it reignited 1.
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Qatar, a mediator in the indirect talks, said it remained hopeful. "We remain hopeful that there is still a chance for a deal to take place," foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari told reporters, adding Doha was working "towards an interim deal" 1. Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and Trump were optimistic. "We've certainly made some progress. We'll see if we can make some more," Vance told reporters 1.
Trump had signaled a deal was possible just hours before the strike. "Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible," he posted on Truth Social 1. On Monday he also told reporters the U.S. had not been fighting for months. "We had a war with Iran. We won," Trump said at the Reflecting Pool. "I don't know if you even call it a war because we haven't been doing any fighting for months" 2.
An Israeli military spokesperson told AFP that Israel was not involved in the latest strikes, answering "No" when asked 1. The U.S. and Israel launched the war with Iran with a massive wave of strikes in late February, and the conflict has been stalemated for months 1.
A senior Iranian official said Tehran was ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas supplies, within two days 1.
That matters because the war is now a live issue on the day voters decide control of Congress, and the price of fuel is tied directly to a waterway Iran says it could reopen. The pattern is an administration fighting and negotiating at once: strikes confirmed on Election Day morning, with Qatar still shuttling proposals between the sides 12.
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Sources
- Courthouse News, “Trump confirms strikes on Iran as Pezeshkian urges against return to war” (2026-11-03). courthousenews.com/trump-confirms-strikes-on-iran-as-pezeshk
- Newsweek, “US Strikes Iran as Trump Says ‘We Haven’t Been Fighting for Months’” (2026-11-03). newsweek.com/us-strikes-iran-as-trump-says-we-havent-been-fi
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