U.S. Strikes Iranian Targets Near Strait of Hormuz

U.S. forces struck Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a U.S. official said, in an operation officials described as limited and defensive. The action came a day before the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, as Washington and Tehran continued efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict. The anonymous U.S. official said the strikes targeted Iranian forces using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. forces in the strait. President Donald Trump later described the operation as a minor attack on an Iranian antiaircraft facility. The U.S. government had not publicly announced the strikes when reports of them emerged. Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm and Hengam islands and near Bandar Abbas on the mainland. The reports establish that explosions were reported, but do not independently establish their cause, damage or casualties. Accounts of the specific incidents preceding the U.S. action also vary: one report described a missile fired at a U.S. aircraft, while another cited an additional intercepted missile reportedly aimed at commercial shipping. The strikes added to uncertainty about whether the confrontation would remain limited or expand. President...