US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island; Trump calls it a minor attack
The gist
The US struck Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz; Trump confirmed it as a "minor attack."
The strikes came days after midterms, where Vance blamed the war for the loss.
How it unfolded
- Feb 28, 2026The US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran; Iran struck US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
- Mar 2026An Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base damaged a Boeing E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft, and another hit a CIA unit at the US Embassy in Riyadh.
- Early Sep 2026The US destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after Iran fired missiles that missed two American warships in the Arabian Sea, followed by two days of US strikes inside Iran.
Key terms
- midterms
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
- Strait of Hormuz
- A narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, bordered by Iran and Oman.
- surface-to-air missiles
- A missile launched from the ground or sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles.
Source: Wikipedia