U.S. Strikes Target Iranian Missile Users Near Hormuz Amid Naval Blockade
Key Facts
A U.S. official said U.S. forces struck Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets in a limited attack near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, November 2, 2026. The strikes came on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November 3, as Washington and Tehran continued a negotiating track mediated by Qatar. Iranian media reported hearing explosions on Qeshm and Hengam islands, and in Bandar Abbas on the mainland. These locations place the attack near a strategic energy and shipping corridor. The Associated Press said about one-fifth of global oil supplies passed through Hormuz in peacetime.
The U.S. official did not disclose details on the extent of damage or the toll from the strikes, while the U.S. account focused on the targets as Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against U.S. assets. President Donald Trump had earlier said the United States “will not attack Iran at any time before” November 3. The strikes took place the day before the election Trump had referenced, as the military confrontation overlapped with mediation efforts. Available facts do not include an estimate of the attack’s impact on oil or shipping traffic. The significance of the strike location remains tied to the Strait of Hormuz and its role in global energy flows in peacetime.
Thousands of U.S. troops remained in waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing Iranian oil tankers from reaching the global market, according to the Associated Press. The agency said a third aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops were en route to the Middle East. These moves come as October saw the highest number of attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since March, according to the agency. That puts shipping security at the heart of tensions around the strait, alongside the blockade and limited strikes. No figures are available on the volume of oil the blockade has kept from reaching markets or on changes in supply flows resulting from the attack.
Qatari mediators had held two rounds of talks with Iranian officials during the previous week and sought a framework under which Iran would stop attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. The Associated Press reported that further talks were scheduled during the week of November 2. Before the strikes were confirmed, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said President Trump and he “feel pretty good about the prospects for a potential negotiated settlement,” adding: “We’re going to keep working toward that.” The statement left the door open to continued negotiations alongside the military presence and blockade. The mediation framework centers on halting attacks and easing maritime restrictions, both directly tied to shipping security and oil flows.
On markets, EL7’s daily closing data showed Brent crude settled at $104.77 a barrel on November 2, then at $103.08 on November 3. West Texas Intermediate settled at $96.46 on November 2 and $95.70 the following day. In trading on November 3, Reuters, citing market data, reported Brent futures up 1.3% at $106.13 a barrel by 1043 GMT, while WTI rose 1.5% to $97.91. The rise in that day’s trading followed a decline in the previous session, amid the strike on Qeshm and doubts about reaching a deal soon, Reuters reported. These prices differ by measurement time and type: daily closes versus futures prices during trading.
On November 3, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran and Washington remained far from an agreement to end the war, while Qatar said the two sides were reviewing mediators’ proposals. After the strikes, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran was ready “for battle with its finger on the trigger,” according to the Associated Press. The statements show the parties remain divided over an agreement as proposals stay under review and Qatar seeks to bridge the gaps. The core of the framework sought by mediators was an end to attacks in Hormuz in exchange for lifting the blockade on Iranian ports. Talks were due to continue during the week of November 2, the Associated Press reported.