U.S. officials said Monday the United States carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the action as limited and not a return to major combat operations^1,4,5.

Iranian state outlet IRNA reported several explosions on the island, France 24 said, including an account of five blasts in succession and some residents reporting two aircraft^3,4.

One official told Al-Monitor the strikes were defensive measures against surface-to-air missiles used against U.S. assets¹. BBC, citing officials who spoke to CBS, said they were in response to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing on a U.S. aircraft⁴.

The Pentagon referred questions to U.S. Central Command, which did not immediately comment, Al-Monitor and France 24 reported^1,3.

Vice President JD Vance told CNN he was optimistic about a negotiated settlement while saying Iran was unpredictable and that President Donald Trump retained kinetic and non-kinetic options, CNBC reported².

Trump said earlier Monday a deal with Tehran could happen and told Axios he was in no rush to ramp up strikes, BBC and France 24 reported^3,4. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told IRNA that intensive talks via mediators were underway and that Tehran was prepared for diplomatic or military paths⁴.

Outlets said the Journal described a series of limited, unannounced U.S. strikes in recent weeks^1,2,3. What was hit on Qeshm, casualty figures and an on-record U.S. military confirmation were not established in the accounts reviewed.