U.S. military aircraft are operating in significant numbers over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran’s southern coast and key shipping lanes, according to Israeli media reports citing regional flight-tracking data.
The activity follows limited U.S. strikes on Monday against Iran’s Qeshm Island. U.S. officials told NBC News the strikes targeted a missile launcher after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired surface-to-air missiles at an American aircraft over the strait. The officials described the action as self-defense and said it was not a resumption of major combat operations.
A U.S. official said the IRGC has routinely fired on U.S. manned and unmanned aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, and that the U.S. strikes Iranian launchers when that happens. Iranian state media reported five explosions on Qeshm on Monday.
The strikes came as Washington prepares for possible renewed military action after Tuesday’s midterm elections. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the U.S. asked several Gulf states to prepare for a short and intense operation against Iran after the vote, while resupplying munitions and readying bombers and fighter jets. President Donald Trump has not made a final decision.
The U.S. has also deployed the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, roughly 10,000 additional troops, and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region by the end of November.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tuesday that Tehran had sent a response to Washington’s latest proposals and that the “ball is now in the U.S. court” to prevent war.
