U.S. reportedly strikes Iran's Qeshm Island as Vance hopes for ‘negotiated settlement’ with Tehran

Key points

• U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that America struck Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday.
• Vice President JD Vance said he and Trump feel good about a possible negotiated settlement with Tehran.
• Trump said the U.S. might target Pickaxe Mountain next and could destroy it in one hour.

The U.S. reportedly carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal. The report said Washington has conducted limited strikes against Iran in recent weeks, kept quiet on purpose so as not to signal any intention of major combat escalation, according to an unnamed official.

Qeshm Island lies off Iran's southern coast and is the largest island in the Persian Gulf. Near the Strait of Hormuz, it has emerged as a potential U.S. target amid reports that anti-ship missiles, mines, drones and attack craft are kept there in underground tunnels.

Vance on talks with Tehran

Vice President JD Vance told CNN on Monday that he and President Donald Trump "feel really good" about the prospect of potentially reaching a negotiated settlement with Iran. He said talks had made good progress and that Washington has set no deadline for a peace deal.

Vance also called the Iranians unpredictable and said Trump retains kinetic and non-kinetic options against Tehran.

The president and I both feel really good about the prospect of potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.

— JD Vance

Trump on nuclear threat

Trump said earlier Monday that the U.S. had to go to war with Iran to stop it from having a nuclear weapon, and that Iran would never be allowed to obtain one. He told Fox News the U.S. had to take a "little detour" to Iran for that purpose.

Trump said the U.S. has bombed out all of Iran's potential nuclear power but might target Pickaxe Mountain next, an underground nuclear facility south of the Natanz enrichment plant. He said the U.S. could destroy it in one hour.