U.S. Conducts Defensive Strikes in Strait of Hormuz; Iran Rejects U.S. Response to Reopen Waterway

The United States conducted limited defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on November 2, 2026, in response to earlier Iranian strikes on U.S. aircraft and drones. While President Trump indicated the operation does not signal a broader escalation, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei rejected the U.S. response to Tehran's conditions for reopening the Strait on November 3, calling it 'not convincing' and demanding full compliance with Iran's demands before shipping resumes through the blockaded waterway.