Limited US strikes
US officials announced on Tuesday that the US military launched "limited" strikes on Qeshm Island in southern Iran, in response to what they described as Tehran's attempt to target a US aircraft with a surface-to-air missile. The US "CNN" network quoted three unnamed officials as saying the military carried out the strikes on Monday, describing the operation as "defensive in nature and aimed at protecting US assets in the region."
Operation details and defense
One official stated that the attack came in response to Iran targeting a US aircraft, while another official clarified that the operation was a "defensive measure against the use of surface-to-air missiles by Iranians targeting US assets." According to US media, the strikes targeted a surface-to-air missile launch platform on Qeshm Island after Iran attempted to target a US Army aircraft during the night hours.
Iranian reactions
On the night of Monday/Tuesday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced "control over two American MQM-170 drones on Qeshm Island." The official Iranian news agency "IRNA" also reported hearing five successive explosions with short time intervals on the island, noting that the intensity of the explosions led to estimates that they occurred in one of Qeshm's areas, while some residents reported spotting two aircraft in the skies.
Diplomatic context
"CNN" quoted a knowledgeable source as saying that "the US administration deliberately kept the attack under wraps to avoid inflating the operation, considering it a limited defensive move aimed solely at protecting US assets." This development comes amid tensions regarding navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which represents one of the main files in negotiations between Iran and the United States, with the US continuing to speak about the diplomatic track to find an exit for the escalation.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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