US Launches Strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, Reports Wall Street Journal

The United States launched an attack on Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported, even as President Donald Trump indicated progress in negotiations with Tehran aimed at ending the eight-month-long conflict.

Citing unnamed US officials, the newspaper described the strike on Qeshm, the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz, as the latest in a series of limited attacks Washington has reportedly conducted against Iran in recent weeks without publicly disclosing them.

Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that five explosions were heard in quick succession on the island, while some residents said they had seen two aircraft flying overhead.

The Pentagon referred inquiries about the reported strikes to US Central Command, which did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment late Monday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Washington has been carrying out smaller-scale strikes against Iranian targets for several weeks.

Some US officials reportedly characterised the attacks as defensive measures intended to prevent Iran from freely targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments that has remained largely blocked since the conflict began in late February.

The newspaper added that Washington had refrained from publicly acknowledging the strikes to avoid signalling any intention to resume large-scale military operations.

On Monday, ahead of the US midterm elections, Trump expressed optimism about the prospects of reaching an agreement with Tehran, saying a deal "could happen."

Meanwhile, oil prices, which had surged following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz energy corridor, fell by more than seven percent on Monday amid growing optimism that the conflict could come to an end.