US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island, US officials say, citing response to fire on aircraft

The United States carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, according to US officials speaking to CBS, the BBC's US partner. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported several explosions on the island on Monday.

US officials described the strikes as limited and defensive. They said the action responded to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing on a US aircraft. That account is a claim by US officials. The BBC said it had asked US Central Command for comment, and the report includes no response. It is not yet known whether Iran confirms the cause of the explosions or the US account. The extent of damage or casualties on the island is also not known.

The strikes come ahead of the US midterm elections, which will decide whether Republicans or Democrats control Congress. The war began in February when the US and Israel attacked Iran. President Donald Trump faces falling poll numbers and pressure from within his party to end it, the BBC reported.

Trump said earlier on Monday that he was in no rush to escalate strikes on Iran. He told Axios: "One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially," according to the BBC. He also told Axios: "They have no money, no gasoline and their people are getting very tired of it."

In a Fox News interview on the eve of the midterms, Trump said the US might need to go after Pickaxe, a site linked to Iran's nuclear programme. He said the US "might need to go after Pickaxe" and described a possible action as "not a big deal". He called it a task that could be done in one hour.

Asked on Monday whether the US would resume significant strikes after the midterms, as has been speculated in recent days, Trump said no. Whether the US will carry out further strikes, including on Pickaxe, after the midterms is not known.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told IRNA that talks to end the war are under way with the US through mediators. He described them as "very intensive". Araghchi said Tehran is prepared for both diplomatic and military scenarios more than ever before. He said the US must choose between negotiation and military aggression.