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US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island in what officials call a defensive move

Trump had said the US would not strike before the midterms, and officials say the action is not a return to major combat.

14 news outlets reported this
Liberal4 outletsStrikes amid fragile diplomacy and election-eve stakesCenter3 outletsLimited defensive strikes as midterms and talks convergeConservative7 outletsDefensive response to Iranian fire, plus Israel aid
Published 4 min readMoney and daily life
Overview

The US military struck Iranian targets on Qeshm Island, in the , on Monday, the eve of Tuesday's US midterm elections. US officials described the strikes as limited and defensive, aimed at Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets, and said they did not mark a return to major combat. Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm and also on Hengam island and near Bandar Abbas.

The strikes were not publicly announced. Trump had earlier said the US would not strike Iran before the midterms. Talks continue through Qatari mediators.

Vice President Vance said he and Trump feel "pretty good" about a possible negotiated settlement. On Tuesday, Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said Iran had delivered a "firm and rational response" and that the US must now prevent war. The war began Feb. 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Separately, Trump told Fox News on Tuesday that the US will stop paying Israel $4 billion a year, by year's end, under a deal he says he made with Netanyahu.

Key figures
  • $4 billion annual US aid to Israel that Trump says will end by year's end — The Center Square
  • between $400 million and $500 million a day estimated cost of the blockade to Iran, by the Trump administration's estimate — The Center Square
  • at least $33.4 billion cost of the war so far, by Pentagon estimate — The Center Square
  • $4.15 per gallon average price of regular gasoline in the US, per AAA — The American Conservative
  • $6.29 per gallon average price of diesel in the US, per AAA — The American Conservative

Three sides of the story

Liberal4 outlets

Strikes amid fragile diplomacy and election-eve stakes

Al Jazeera opens with "growing concerns about renewed attacks on Iran" after Tuesday's midterms and says the Qeshm strikes, which officials reportedly called a defensive measure, are the first there since June. It sets them beside the diplomacy: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying "everything depends on the political rationality of Washington," and President Pezeshkian saying the supreme leader gave the government "certain authorities" over talks. The Boston Globe runs the AP wire report, headlined "leaving unclear what comes next."

It notes the strikes were not publicly announced, that the "unpopular war" and gasoline prices are a weakness for Republicans, and that Netanyahu pushed Trump for strikes, according to two regional officials and a third person. CBS News reports, citing officials, that the US military carried out limited strikes on Monday against Iranian sites in the strait. A second Al Jazeera item speaks of a series of "defensive strikes."

Center3 outlets

Limited defensive strikes as midterms and talks converge

Straight Arrow News headlines the Qeshm strikes alongside Trump weighing a deal and threatening more. Its opening says they came "just hours before the midterm elections" and that American officials characterized the operation as limited and defensive. It cites two US officials speaking to ABC News, one saying Iranian forces fired on an American aircraft, and says officials stressed this was not a return to major combat.

It quotes Trump on Pickaxe Mountain: "we can do that in one hour." It also reports the Revolutionary Guard's drone claim, which a US official disputed. The Las Vegas Review-Journal runs the AP wire report, which says the US launched strikes "in what appeared to be a limited operation" on the eve of Tuesday's election.

The strikes were not publicly announced, and a US official said they targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles. The wire adds Qalibaf's line that the "ball is now in America's court," views of Tehran residents on the US election, and Iranian authorities' plan to train 1 million paramilitary volunteers.

Conservative7 outlets

Defensive response to Iranian fire, plus Israel aid

The Center Square leads with the timing: "Hours before polls opened Tuesday," the military "quietly" struck Iran, as Trump announced an end to aid for Israel. It adds the administration's estimate of the blockade's daily cost to Iran and the Pentagon's war-cost figure. RedState headlines that Iran "reportedly" fired on a US aircraft, cites three US officials speaking to CBS News, and carries Trump on "Hannity" calling the conflict a "very soft war."

Breitbart puts "Defensive" in its headline and gathers officials' accounts from CNN, Axios reporter Barak Ravid and Fox's Jennifer Griffin, who cited a senior official saying this was "not the start of new expanded strikes by the US." The American Conservative's "Iran War Day 249" quotes Trump on the Israel aid, "we're stopping," says specifics remain unclear given Congress's role, and lists AAA fuel prices.

Money and daily life

For drivers, AAA reports regular gasoline averaging $4.15 a gallon and diesel $6.29, according to The American Conservative. The same outlet says crude opened at $104.45 on Monday, down slightly from its previous close. The Boston Globe's AP report says the war's effect on gasoline prices has been a vulnerability for Republicans.

All sources: 17 articles from 14 outlets

Liberal (5)

Center (3)

Conservative (9)

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