Image source: U.S. Navy via Getty Images
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced overnight that it shot down three drones over Iranian airspace, after reports of an American bombing targeting Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran.
An American official said that the United States carried out strikes on the Iranian island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz. The official, who requested anonymity, stated that the strikes appeared limited and did not constitute a resumption of major combat operations, according to what was reported by Reuters.
The Wall Street Journal quoted an unnamed official as saying that the strikes were carried out on a small scale and represented defensive measures against the Iranians' use of surface-to-air missiles against American sites.
Fox News reported, citing officials, that the strikes came in response to Iran's shooting at an American plane.
There has been no official confirmation so far from the White House, nor from the US Central Command after a request for comment in this regard.
The official Iranian "IRNA" agency confirmed that five successive explosions were heard on the island, and residents reported seeing two planes flying in its airspace.
The Revolutionary Guard said that it shot down an American MQ-9 drone over the eastern Strait of Hormuz. He also announced what he described as “the capture of two American MQM-170 aircraft,” according to what was reported by IRNA.
Image source: Getty Images
This comes as Iran's chief negotiator, Speaker of the Shura Council, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, stressed today, Tuesday, that it is now up to the United States to "avoid war."
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He said in a televised speech: “The countries of the region must know that while the Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready for battle with its finger on the trigger, it has also provided a strong and rational response to the American side.” He added, "The ball is now in America's court to avoid war."
Threats and statements about efforts to calm things down
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In an interview with Fox News on the eve of the midterm elections, US President Donald Trump stated that the United States “may need to target Pickaxe,” a site linked to the Iranian nuclear program.
Trump said the order was "no big deal" and could be done in "one hour."
Speculation has increased in the past few days about the possibility that the United States will resume major strikes inside Iran after the midterm elections.
This comes despite President Trump's statement on Monday that an agreement "may be reached" with Tehran, after Iran revealed the existence of indirect negotiations with Washington and offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on conditions.
Trump wrote on his platform, Truth Social, ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for today: “Oil prices are falling sharply... because people feel that there will be no war with Iran. Iran wants to reach a settlement as soon as possible. It may happen!”
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday that contacts with the United States to end the war that has been ongoing between them for eight months are still continuing, after days of talks between the Iranians and Qatari mediators that led to amended proposals without achieving progress.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in statements reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA): “The consultations through mediators are very intense. We presented our conditions and proposals, and everything depends on Washington’s political rationality.”
US Vice President Jay D. Vance also told reporters on Monday: “The president and I feel somewhat optimistic about the chances of reaching a settlement (with Iran) through negotiation,” adding: “We have already made some progress, and we will see if we can achieve more.”
On the other hand, Iran announced on Monday that it is considering a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States accepts its demands, after it had previously proposed a one-week deadline.
An informed official told Reuters, on Monday, that Iranian negotiators left the Doha talks that were taking place with Qatari mediators, which aimed to reach an agreement to end the Iran war. He added that a draft agreement proposal is being circulated, with the possibility of holding a follow-up meeting.
The official explained that the departure of the negotiators on Sunday was not due to difficulties facing the progress of the negotiations.
In an interview with the Iranian official news agency (IRNA), Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on Monday that intensive consultations are still underway through Qatar and Pakistan, and include telephone calls and the exchange of letters.
He stressed that Iran is ready for both options: "diplomacy or confronting any new military action."
Last September, it put forward a seven-day plan, which it conveyed to the United States via Qatar, stipulating that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the sixth day, provided that the United States met Iranian demands.
The most prominent of these demands is an end to the war in the Middle East on all fronts, the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad, the lifting of sanctions imposed on the Iranian oil sector, and an end to the US naval blockade.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war in the Middle East included repeated threats from the United States and Israel to resume bombing, coinciding with important elections in the two countries.
In conjunction with diplomatic efforts on the Doha-Tehran line, an Iranian-Chinese-Russian diplomatic movement was recorded as part of efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis, according to what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed, during a previously unannounced visit of the Secretary-General of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani, to Beijing.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Beijing will send its envoy in charge of Middle East affairs this month to Iran, the Sultanate of Oman and Saudi Arabia, as part of “shuttle diplomatic visits aimed at promoting peace talks and easing tensions.”
The Iranian Broadcasting Corporation reported, on Monday, that the Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they discussed regional and international developments.
Earlier the same day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed concern about indications indicating the possibility of planning new military action against Iran.
The Vedomosti newspaper quoted her as saying that Moscow supports mediation efforts and is ready to help find and implement solutions acceptable to both parties.
Axios: Netanyahu pressured Trump to launch a strike against Iran
Trump said that he discussed the Iranian file with outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Tehran warned that any renewed war with the United States might last longer than the previous round of fighting.
Trump indicated that his call with Netanyahu took place on Saturday, and described it as a “very good conversation,” adding that Iran was one of the topics they discussed, without providing additional details.
The American news site Axios quoted an American and an Israeli official as saying that the two men discussed the progress of negotiations with Iran, as Netanyahu pressured Trump to launch a strike against Iran immediately after the end of the midterm congressional elections on Tuesday, while Trump was keen to allow room for negotiations to continue, according to the report.
The Israeli source described the call as “difficult,” while the American source said it was “direct,” according to Axios.
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