The United States has carried out limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, even as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signaled renewed willingness to pursue diplomacy.
The attacks late Monday, described by US officials as defensive, followed reported Iranian military action against American aircraft and came ahead of Tuesday's US midterm elections, amid concerns about renewed escalation.
Iranian state media reported several explosions on Qeshm Island, with witnesses describing aircraft flying overhead.
US officials cited by American media said the operation responded to Iranian forces targeting US assets with surface-to-air missiles.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately claimed to have downed two American MQM-170 drones south of Qeshm and an MQ-9 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military has not publicly commented on the strikes.
The island was previously targeted in March, when an attack on a desalination facility disrupted freshwater supplies to 30 villages.
President Donald Trump denied plans to resume major strikes immediately after the midterms, although he separately raised the possibility of targeting an underground Iranian nuclear facility.
Regional officials also reported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged further American military action.
Despite the military developments, Qatar and Pakistan remain involved in mediation aimed at preventing renewed large-scale fighting.
Qatari officials said Tuesday that Washington and Tehran were reviewing proposals, following intensive exchanges and discussions involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had granted his government additional authority to negotiate, while parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized Iran's readiness for both diplomacy and military confrontation.
Negotiations include proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, potentially within two days of an agreement addressing Iranian demands, including sanctions-related and maritime restrictions.
The waterway has remained severely disrupted since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28.
A preliminary June agreement collapsed after renewed shipping attacks and the reinstatement of an American naval blockade.
The latest strikes underscore the fragility of negotiations as both governments maintain military pressure alongside diplomatic engagement.