US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island as Trump signals nuclear deal talks

US forces carried out covert airstrikes on Iran's Qeshm Island Monday, targeting positions after Iranian surface-to-air missiles were fired at an American jet and an IRGC missile threatened merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The Wall Street Journal reports the limited strikes are part of a weeks-long series of undisclosed operations Washington kept quiet to avoid signaling return to full hostilities.

Iran's Fars News Agency confirmed explosions rocked Qeshm early Tuesday, felt 14 miles away in Bandar Abbas and neighboring Hengam Island. Qeshm sits at the gateway to the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20% of global crude oil passes daily. Any sustained disruption here spikes oil prices worldwide.

Meanwhile, Trump posted Monday that a diplomatic deal with Tehran "could happen," even as his administration quietly bombs Iranian assets. The mixed signals—public diplomacy, private escalation—create unpredictable risk for oil markets.

For Nigeria, higher crude prices theoretically boost revenue but also drive up refined fuel import costs and inflation. The last Hormuz tension cycle in 2019-2020 saw Brent swing $15 in weeks.

Will Nigeria's 2026 budget benchmarks hold if Hormuz instability pushes Brent above $90, or will subsidy pressures return before the next review?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/11/03/us-secretly-bombs-iran-as-trump-pushes-for-deal-2/