What appeared to be a limited strike by the United States on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz hours before Tuesday’s midterm US elections is raising questions about what’s coming next.
For weeks now, US President Donald Trump has said he was considering launching a new wave of strikes on Iran after the elections. Just days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Trump for renewed military action, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.
Speaking before the US official confirmed strikes, US Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and Trump “both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. The unpopular war and the resulting impact on US gasoline prices and other parts of the economy have been a vulnerability for his Republican Party as it tries to keep control of Congress. The Trump administration was last known to have carried out attacks in early September. But thousands of U.S. troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching the global market. Another aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are also on their way to the Middle East. “The American government and its policies have always had a problem with us. I’m not talking about the American people, mind you. I’m talking about their policies.”
A U.S. official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Monday that the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against the US in the strait. The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tuesday that the U.S. response to Tehran’s demands to end the war was not convincing. Netanyahu pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. elections during a call with Trump over the weekend, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter. The two officials said diplomatic efforts have made progress and that mediators are trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the strait in return for the U.S. lifting its blockade. “It doesn’t really make much difference who comes into power,” said Raheleh Movahhed, also of Tehran.
