The United States carried out what officials described as defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, hitting positions on Qeshm Island, according to American officials who spoke to the Associated Press and other news organizations. Another official said the strikes were defensive measures against Iranian forces that had used surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets. Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported several explosions on Qeshm Island.

The strikes came late Monday, on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections. Officials described the action as limited and said it did not represent a resumption of the war, which began on February 28, 2026, when U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted Iran.

An Iranian official said a deal with Washington remained out of reach. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said consultations in Doha with Qatari mediators over a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz had produced no breakthrough, and that the outcome depended on the United States' response. News of the strikes on Qeshm Island cast doubt over whether that process could continue on the same footing.

Oil markets registered the whiplash immediately. In the days before the strikes, crude had been sliding on hopes that the Doha talks would produce a breakthrough, with U.S. benchmark prices dropping below $100 a barrel. Once word of the strikes spread, that trend reversed. Oil prices climbed after the strikes became known, with Brent crude at about $105.77 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate at about $97.41. Traders cited renewed fears that the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of the world's seaborne oil passes, could face further disruption.

As of Tuesday, neither Washington nor Tehran had announced a change in the status of the Doha talks, and both sides continued to exchange public warnings even as the diplomatic channel remained open. The strikes mark the latest flashpoint in a conflict that has moved between periods of direct military action and attempts at negotiated settlement over the past several months, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging repeatedly as a focal point given its importance to global energy flows.

References

1. 1.AP — U.S. official confirmation of defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz
2. 2.ABC News — details on the strikes targeting Qeshm Island and official characterization as defensive, not a resumption of major combat
3. 3.Anchorage Daily News/AP — timing of strikes ahead of midterm elections and Trump's prior statement on not striking before the vote
4. 4.Al Jazeera — Iranian state media reports of explosions on Qeshm Island and in Bandar Lengeh
5. 5.Reuters via CNBC/Business Recorder — third day of Doha talks between Iranian negotiators and Qatari mediators, Araghchi's comments on a two-day proposal
6. 6.The National News — oil price movement crossing $105 a barrel after the strikes
7. 7.CNBC Africa — specific Brent and WTI price levels following the strikes
8. 8.Wikipedia — background on the 2026 Iran war beginning February 28, 2026