JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD – NOVEMBER 2: Vice President J.D. Vance descends from the Second Air Force on November 2, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The vice president returned to Washington after campaign stops in New York and Ohio.
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The United States reportedly attacked Iran’s Qeshm island on Monday, a US official told MS Now, after Vice President J.D. Vance expressed hope of reaching a “negotiated solution” with Tehran.
The official said the U.S. strike was a “defensive measure” in response to “Iran’s use of surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets.”
The airstrike was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which added that Washington has been conducting “limited airstrikes” against the country in recent weeks.
The report, citing unnamed officials, said military operations against Iran were deliberately kept quiet so as not to suggest any intention to escalate the fighting on a large scale.
Qeshm Island
Qeshm Island is located off the southern coast of Iran and is the largest island in the Persian Gulf. Located near the Strait of Hormuz, it has emerged as a potential US target following reports that anti-ship missiles, sea mines, drones and attack boats are stored in underground tunnels.
President Donald Trump’s administration has denied the risk of all-out war with Iran, and Vance is the latest to claim “good progress” is being made in negotiations with Iran.
“Both the president and I are very comfortable with the possibility of reaching a negotiated settlement,” Vance told CNN on Monday.
But he added that the Iranians are “unpredictable” and that President Trump retains “dynamic and non-dynamic” options against Tehran. Vance said the U.S. government has not set a deadline for reaching a peace agreement with Iran.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that the two countries were far from reaching a deal and said Iran would strongly counter any US aggression beyond the region.
“The enemy is trying to force the Iranian people into submission through intimidation and military action, but that is a big mistake and Iran will not submit,” the official said.
Qatari mediators reportedly traveled to Tehran on Monday night for talks on the draft US-Iran deal, which has been under negotiation for the past eight days.
“If the United States wants to reopen Hormuz, Iran’s conditions must be met,” an Iranian official told Reuters, adding that nuclear negotiations could only begin after that, adding that Iran would not accept “excessive demands” from the United States.
nuclear threat
President Trump said early Monday that the United States had to go to war with Iran to stop Iran from acquiring a “nuclear weapon.” “We’re never going to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. And they understand that.”
The president said last month that the United States would not attack Iran before the midterm elections after pre-vote polls showed support for the war had declined, with only 31% of Americans backing military action.
President Trump said in a Fox News interview Monday night that the United States had to take a “little detour” to Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The president said the United States has bombed all potential nuclear powers in Iran and could target Pickaxe Mountain next. Pickel Mountain, located south of Iran’s Natanz enrichment plant, is home to an underground nuclear facility.
“We may have to go after the pickaxe, but it’s no big deal,” Trump said, adding that the United States could destroy the pickaxe within an hour.
On November 1, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that President Trump wants to resolve the Iran war through “diplomacy” and does not want to use military force.
