US strikes Iran again, right before midterm elections

The U.S. has hit Iran again, according to US officials speaking to CBS.

The BBC reported that American strikes were launched at Qeshm Island, an island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian media reporting explosions on the island on Nov. 2.

U.S. officials called the strikes "limited", saying that they were in response to Iran firing on a U.S. aircraft.

Just a few hours before reports of the strikes, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that a deal with Tehran "could happen".

"Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible."

He also told Axios that he was "in no rush" to decide whether or not to resume strikes on Iran.

Talks between Iran and the U.S. were underway, but beset by friction on both sides.

On Oct. 31, Al Jazeera reported Trump as saying that there were still nuclear sites in Iran that the U.S. wanted to deal with, while Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly met with senior military leaders to prepare for "maximum deterrence".

Midterms

The strike comes just before the conclusion of the U.S. midterm elections, which determine control of the legislative branch of the U.S. government.

Polling shows that the Democratic Party is the favourite to win back the House of Representatives, and possibly the U.S. Senate.

The BBC reported that Trump has been facing falling polling numbers and internal pressure from his party to put an end to the war in Iran.

If the Republican Party loses control of both houses of the U.S. legislative branch, Trump will no longer be able to pass legislation with the same ease.

This affects domestic policy, forcing him to reconsider controversial bills.

The Associated Press previously reported that sources said Trump was planning to strike Iran again after the conclusion of the midterms, with Trump making promises during campaign efforts that the war would soon come to an end.

He made a speech on one campaign stop, saying: “Somebody asked me before, when will the war in Iran end? I said, ‘Whenever I want it to end.’ It’ll be very quick, but we have to have it end properly, with total and complete – a total statement, they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

On another occasion, Trump also mooted the idea of attacking Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, which is believed to be linked to Iran's nuclear programme.