'We Won': Trump Claims Victory As US Strikes Qeshm Island, Says Iran Asked To Stop Killing Its Leaders
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran asked the United States to stop killing its leaders, saying Washington would comply, even as American forces carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
Speaking at an event near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on November 2, a day before the US midterm elections, Trump declared that the US had won its war with Iran and claimed that Washington had strong control over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
He added that the US had eliminated Iran's top leadership and that Tehran had asked Washington to stop targeting its leaders.
"We've wiped out their leaders, their first level of leaders, their second level of leaders, and they've asked us 'please stop doing that,' and we will. But it looks like that's coming together very nicely ... and that's why I guess the oil prices dropped so precipitously," he said.
VIDEO | Washington: US president Donald Trump declares victory over Iran, claims Tehran asked US to ‘stop killing our leaders’. (Source: White House YT) (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) https://t.co/20rjSbJjcM
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 3, 2026
Trump also said the US had won the conflict, adding that it might no longer be considered a war because there had been no fighting for months.
"We had a war with Iran. We won," he said, claiming that the US "strongly" controlled the Strait of Hormuz.
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US Strikes Iran's Qeshm Island
The remarks came as the US carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told Reuters on Monday. The strikes, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, appeared to be limited and did not signal a resumption of major combat operations, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Another US official described the strikes as defensive measures against Iranian forces using surface-to-air missiles against American assets, the report said.
Earlier on Monday, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported several explosions on Qeshm Island. The Wall Street Journal said the attack was the latest in a series of US strikes carried out in recent weeks.
Fox News, citing officials, reported that the strikes were defensive and followed Iran firing at a US aircraft.
ALSO READ: Iran Reports Five Explosions Near Strait Of Hormuz After Trump Signals Possible Deal
Trump Had Hinted At Renewed Attacks After Midterm Elections
In recent weeks, Trump had indicated that the US could resume attacks on Iran after the November 3 midterm elections. However, his recent remarks suggest that he might be reconsidering that approach.
The US strikes on Qeshm Island, meanwhile, were described by officials as limited and defensive in nature, rather than a return to major combat operations.
Trump on Monday had said that he is in no rush to decide whether to resume military operations against Iran, claiming that Tehran wants a negotiated settlement "more than they ever wanted".
He also said his administration was continuing to engage with Iran but acknowledged that reaching an agreement could take time. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism over the ongoing negotiations, saying the Trump administration believed some progress had been made.
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