The US military carried out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday, which three US officials described as a defensive action after Iran fired at a US aircraft.
The strikes came as President Trump said a deal with Tehran is still possible.
Three US officials told CNN the strikes were meant to protect US assets in the region. One said they responded to Iran firing at a US aircraft.
Another said Iranians had used surface to air missiles against American forces.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the operation and said similar strikes have been carried out in secret before.
One source said the administration kept this one quiet to avoid overstating a defensive move.
Iran’s Fars News Agency reported several explosions on the island early Tuesday.
Qeshm Island sits about 14 miles from the port city of Bandar Abbas, in the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is critical to global energy supplies, and about 20 million barrels of oil passed through it every day before the war.
The island is central to Iran’s efforts to control traffic through the strait, and the US has targeted it earlier in the war.
Residents of nearby Hengam Island and Bandar Abbas also reportedly heard the blasts. Oil prices rose in early Asian trading after the news broke.
Trump said Monday that an agreement “could happen,” while also saying the US might have to go after Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear site.
Vice President JD Vance said the two sides have made some progress toward an off ramp.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned that a major new attack would draw a response without geographical limits.
A senior Tehran security official told CNN Iran would try to target infrastructure beyond oil facilities, including AI.
Trump had earlier said the US would not attack Iran before the midterms.
