The United States struck Iran’s Qeshm Island, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, 2 November 2026, citing US officials, according to Reuters. The report followed several explosions on the island, reported by Iranian state media outlet IRNA. Qeshm Island sits on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass.
The Wall Street Journal said the attack was the latest in a series of limited strikes carried out by Washington in recent weeks, conducted on a smaller scale and deliberately kept secret so as not to signal any intent to resume its major military campaign against Iran. The US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some US officials described the assaults as defensive in nature, aimed at preventing Iran from having the freedom to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported. Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Tuesday on concerns about an escalation of the eight-month conflict and prolonged disruption to Middle East oil supplies, with Brent crude up 0.5% to $105.25 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate up 0.5% to $96.93 a barrel.
Washington and Tehran have been at war since 28 February 2026, a conflict that has sharply reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which previously carried about a fifth of global crude oil and natural gas supplies. Tehran said on Monday that contacts between Iran and the US to end the war are continuing, after days of Iranian talks with Qatari mediators ended with altered proposals but no breakthrough.
Earlier on Monday, US President Donald Trump raised doubts about whether he would follow through on a threatened resumption of military strikes against Iran, saying a deal with Tehran could happen. Asked by reporters if he was considering striking Iran after Tuesday’s US midterm elections, he replied “no.”
Source: Reuters, reporting the Wall Street Journal (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-struck-irans-qeshm-island-wall-street-journal-reports-2026-11-03/) and Reuters oil market report (https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/oil-rises-after-report-us-strike-irans-qeshm-island-2026-11-03/). The image used is an illustrative stock photo, not a photo of the actual event.
