Blasts on Qeshm and in Bandar Lengeh; Israel's Channel 12: US hit Qeshm air defence

Israel's Channel 12 reported in the early hours of Tuesday, 3 November 2026, that the series of explosions on Qeshm Island was the result of a US strike on an Islamic Republic air defence system on the island. The report, which follows DIAR's earlier report on the sound of explosions on Qeshm, described the strike as part of the limited attacks the US has carried out in recent weeks without official announcement. At the time of publication, neither US Central Command (CENTCOM) nor any US official had confirmed it.

In reports sent to independent media, residents described six explosions on Qeshm and said a sound was heard at 00:23 from the direction of the IRGC naval base in Bandar Lengeh. Separate reports also pointed to air defences being activated at Omidiyeh air base in Khuzestan. The Islamic Republic's official news agency only reported that several explosions had been heard on Qeshm and called their cause "unknown".

IRGC claim and Tehran's official silence

On Monday the IRGC had claimed to have shot down an advanced US drone over the Strait of Hormuz. No independent source has confirmed the claim, and it is unclear whether it is linked to last night's explosions. Islamic Republic officials had said nothing about possible damage or casualties by early Tuesday.

The explosions came a few hours after Donald Trump spoke of the possibility of a deal with the Islamic Republic and his vice president, JD Vance, reported progress in the talks. Oil prices had fallen more than 7 percent in Monday trading on hopes of a deal.

Background of strikes on Qeshm

Qeshm, the largest island in the Persian Gulf, sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz and hosts IRGC missile launchers and naval bases. Open-source observers had earlier reported a US Air Force strike on 29 October on an IRGC missile launcher on Qeshm and on the naval base at Bandar Jask. Trump had said in recent days that he was in no hurry to decide on resuming the war.

Israel's Channel 12 called the Qeshm blasts an unannounced US strike on Islamic Republic air defences; Washington has not yet confirmed it.