US strike Iran island bifor midterm elections

US don strike Iran Qeshm Island for Strait of Hormuz, US officials tell CBS, BBC US partner.

Di officials describe di strike as limited and defensive, and response to di Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) strike on US aircraft.

Iran state news agency Irna report di explosion for Qeshm on Monday. Di IRGC neva comment, but dem tok say dia forces don shoot down two US MQM-170 drones south of di island and one US MQ-9 drone for di east of Strait of Hormuz.

Di US military neva comment on di strikes, and dis one come as mediator to step up dia effort to stop di return of full war afta US midterm elections on Tuesday.

Trump dey face falling poll numbers and pressure from within im own Republican Party to end di war, wey start wen US and Israel attack Iran for February.

Earlier on Monday, di president tell reporters say im no dey "rush at all" to increase di strikes on Iran.

"One way or di oda, we go do sometin, but no rush. We don crip dem financially," e tell one news oulets Axios. "Dem no get money, no gasoline, and dia pipo don tire."

Inside one interview wit Fox News on di eve of di midterms, Trump tok say di US "fit need to go for Pickaxe [Mountain]", one underground site wey dey linked to Iran nuclear programme.

Im tok say dis "no be big deal" and dem fit do am in "one hour", Trump add.

In di past few days, dem don dey speculate say US fit resume big strikes for Iran afta di midterms. But wen one reporter ask am on Monday, if dis na di case, Trump tok say "no".

Meanwhile, di Associated Press cite two regional officials wey tok say, during one weekend phone call, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu push Trump for anoda wave of strikes on Iran afta di midterms.

On Tuesday, Iran chief negotiator wit di US, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, tok say: "Di ball don dey for America court to stop di war."

"Just as di Islamic Republic of Iran dey ready for battle as dia finger dey on di trigger, e don also give di American side powerful and rational answer," e tok for one televised speech.

E no immediately clear wetin Ghalibaf mean, but Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tell Irna on Monday say "very intensive" talks dey happun with US through Qatari and Pakistani mediators to try end di war.

Qatar foreign ministry tok-tok pesin on Tuesday tok say both sides dey "review di ideas and proposals wey we don present" and dem still get hope say di deal go happun.

"Both parties still dey committed to di negotiation process... We dey help facilitate di real-time exchange of proposals between dem," Majed al-Ansari tell reporters for Doha.

Last week, Iranian negotiators discuss wit mediators one proposal to reopen di Strait of Hormuz within two days once US meet im seven conditions. Dem say di conditions include lifting naval blockade on Iranian ports and releasing frozen Iranian assets.

Di Strait of Hormuz, wia one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments usually dey pass, close afta di Iran war start, becos of Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and di US naval blockade.

Di US and Iran reach preliminary agreement to end di war and reopen di strait for June, but e collapse within weeks afta Iranian attacks on shipping resume and US reinstate di blockade.

Iran insist say e no go give up some measure of control ova di waterway and begin to target vessels wey dey use southern route through Omani waters wey dey avoid dia preferred route through Iranian waters.

To keep exports flowing from Gulf Arab states, US military don dey provide protection for tankers wey dey carry oil through di Strait of Hormuz.