Tehran says has right to self-defense after US strikes on Qeshm Island
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Tuesday that Tehran reserved the right to self-defense following US attacks on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran retains the right to legitimate self-defense until the military aggression has been completely and permanently brought to an end,” Gharibabadi said according to ISNA.
The US strikes were reported by The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times and other outlets.
According to Tasnim News Agency, several powerful explosions were heard in the area of Bandar Lengeh in Qeshm Island.
Unnamed US officials cited by the outlets described the attacks as defensive in nature. They claimed that the strikes were in response to targeting a US drone by Iranian forces.
Asked if Israel was involved in the latest reported strikes, an Israeli military spokesperson told AFP, “No”.
In another incident, three oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines while navigating unauthorized routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy said on Tuesday that the vessels had been rocked by explosions resulting in “massive fires” since the early hours of the day after switching off their navigation and identification systems and attempting to transit unauthorized routes through the strategic waterway. The IRGC forces also captured two more American MQM-170 reconnaissance drones in the skies south of Qeshm Island, bringing the total number of this type seized by its forces to four.
Major General Ali Abdollahi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also outlined a strategic framework for establishing sustainable peace and security in the Middle East, proposing a ‘Hormuz mechanism’ to replace the ‘worn-out’ US security architecture in the region.
In a message issued on the occasion of November 4 — the National Day of Fight against Global Arrogance — General Abdollahi emphasized that Iran is no longer merely managing crises, but is actively “architecting a new order” in the region.
“For us, military power is not the goal; it is a tool,” Gen. Abdollahi stated. “Based on the realities and requirements of our time, our doctrine has transitioned from ‘defense’ to ‘offensive initiative,’ and from ‘crisis management’ to ‘order-making’.” The reported Qeshm attack came just hours after US President Donald Trump signaled a deal with Iran “could happen”, as US voters cast their ballots in midterms dominated by public dissatisfaction with the war and the inflation it has brought.
“Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible,” Trump claimed in a post on his Truth Social platform.