What appeared to be a limited strike by the United States on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz hours before Tuesday’s midterm U.S. elections is raising questions about what’s coming next.
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what → appear → questions
For weeks now, U.S. President Donald Trump has said he was considering launching a new wave of strikes on Iran after the elections.
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he → say → elections
Just days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Trump for renewed military action, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.
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Netanyahu → press → matter
The Middle East and beyond have been on edge about the prospects of the U.S. resuming full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months.
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U.S. → resume → months
Talks aimed at avoiding that are ongoing, and other American allies in the region are pressuring the U.S. not to resume the more than eight-month-old war that’s rattled the global economy and wreaked havoc on Iran.
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that → aim → Iran
Trump has alternated between threatening major strikes and pushing for a deal with Iran.
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Trump → alternate → Iran
The unpopular war and the resulting impact on U.S. gasoline prices and other parts of the economy have been a vulnerability for his Republican Party as it tries to keep control of Congress.
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it → result → Congress
Strikes were targeted in Strait of Hormuz
Iranian state media reported explosions being heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.
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explosions → target → Abbas
A U.S. official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Monday that the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against the U.S. in the strait.
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strikes → authorize → strait
Iran official says US must resolve its conditions
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US → say → conditions
The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tuesday that the U.S. response to Tehran’s demands to end the war was not convincing.
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response → say → war
Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei wrote on social media that the strait won’t reopen until the U.S. addresses Iran’s conditions.
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U.S. → write → conditions
Iran has offered to reopen the strait, and resume talks on its nuclear program if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and observes a ceasefire including in Lebanon.
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U.S. → offer → Lebanon
Vice President Vance buoyed hopes for a negotiated settlement
Back-channel negotiations have been playing out as Israel and some Middle East allies lobby Trump.
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Israel → buoy → Trump
Speaking before the U.S. official confirmed strikes, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and Trump “both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.”
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he → speak → settlement
The Trump administration was last known to have carried out attacks in early September.
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administration → know → September
But thousands of U.S. troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers carrying Iranian oil from reaching the global market.
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thousands → remain → market
Netanyahu pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. elections during a call with Trump over the weekend, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.
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Netanyahu → push → matter
The two officials said diplomatic efforts have made progress and that mediators are trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the strait in return for the U.S. lifting its blockade.
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U.S. → say → blockade
The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified briefings they had received from American and, in one case, Israeli officials.
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they → speak → officials
The third person, who was briefed on the call, was not authorized to comment publicly and also spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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who → brief → anonymity
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called on Iran and the U.S. to engage in dialogue and reach an agreement to resolve their ongoing conflict, warning against further military escalation in the region.
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Sissi → call → region
Iranians keeping watch on U.S. elections
Some people in Tehran were hopeful that the midterm elections would bring a shift in U.S. policies.
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elections → keep → policies
“The American people need to make a fundamental decision and bring about real change.
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people → need → change
They need to put an end to the leadership of someone who is so extreme and who runs things through lies, someone who supports Israel, a country that is literally killing children,” said 69-year-old Reza Rezaei.
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Rezaei → need → children
“It doesn’t really make much difference who comes into power,” said Raheleh Movahhed, also of Tehran.
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Movahhed → make → Tehran
“The American government and its policies have always had a problem with us.
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government → have → us
I’m not talking about the American people, mind you.
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I → talk → you
I’m talking about their policies.”
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I → talk → policies
Iran’s chief negotiator says it’s up to the US to prevent renewed war
Iranian state television quoted the country’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, as saying on Tuesday that Iran had “delivered a firm and rational response to the American side.
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Iran → say → side
The ball is now in America’s court to prevent war.”
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ball → prevent → war
It was not immediately clear what response he was referring to.
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he → refer → response
Qalibaf also warned that Iran’s armed forces remained at the highest level of defensive readiness.
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forces → warn → readiness
“If Washington makes another strategic miscalculation, it should know that this time it will face a new battlefield and will find itself even more desperate than it is today,” he said.
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he → make → battlefield
–Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Cara Anna contributed to this report.
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Madhani → contribute → report
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