US Strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island in Strait of Hormuz

US forces carried out limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday, two US officials confirmed. Qeshm sits at the northern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, flanking the inbound shipping lane, and has served as an operational base for Iran's Revolutionary Guard during the ongoing tanker attack campaign.

Explosions were reported on the island. US officials described the strikes as defensive.

The Hormuz situation had already turned into a protracted shipping crisis before Monday's action. In late October, [Iran declared the strait closed to tankers operating on what it called unauthorized routes, and one hit naval mines and caught fire while hundreds of others queued at both approaches](https://www.marineradar.com/trends/iran-closes-hormuz-tanker-catches-mine-fire-500-queued-2026-10-27). Two days before the Qeshm strikes, Oman evacuated 25 crew from the RITI, a Panama-flagged crude tanker that caught fire after an attack near the Musandam Peninsula.

The strait carries a substantial share of globally traded oil and liquefied natural gas. Iran's IRGC claimed seven tankers hit overnight at Hormuz, showing how quickly attacks accumulate in the confined waterway. Monday's strikes appear to mark a shift from escort and patrol operations toward direct action against Iranian facilities supporting the attacks.