US launches fresh strikes on Iran hours before Americans to vote in midterms as Trump gives closing campaign speech

President Trump has launched a series of fresh strikes on a key part of the Strait of Hormuz just hours before Americans were due to visit the polls to vote in the midterm elections. Several explosions were reported on the Iranian island of Queshem, which the US described as "limited" and in response to one of its aircraft reportedly being shot at. Trump told reporters on Monday night: "We had a war with Iran, we won. I don't know if you even call it a war because we haven't been doing any fighting for months."

But despite Trump's claims, reports in the US suggested the White House has been engaged in smaller attacks on Tehran for weeks despite talking up the prospects of a peace deal. Read more: Oil prices pull back sharply on signs of US-Iran diplomacy to end war Read more: When are the US Midterms and what could they mean for Trump? Monday's attack follows a strike conducted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] which fired at a US jet fighter, which fired back in self-defence, officials told the Wall Street Journal.

American forces also intercepted an IRGC missile that originated out of Qeshm and was targeting commercial shipping, it was claimed. Forces have previously targeted Qeshm, which is home to a large underground missile site and naval base. The strikes come ahead of the US midterm elections, which will determine whether the Republicans or Democrats control Congress. Trump has been facing falling polling numbers and pressure from within his party to end the war, which began when the US and Israel attacked Iran in February.

Facing the elections that could cost his party control of Congress, President Trump spent his last major speech before the midterms talking about pipes and paint on Monday Trump ruminated on his Washington renovations, new sod, the White House helipad, a grand new arch and the recently reopened Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a 54-minute speech billed by the White House as part of the President's closing argument before voters cast their ballots.

Facing a towering marble statue of Abraham Lincoln, Trump joked he would soon rename the pool in his own honour rather than after the 16th president, credited with helping end slavery and preserving the Union during the Civil War. Trump ran through a series of pool renovations, spoke without evidence about vandals' attempts to damage the pool and offered updates on other projects he said would beautify the nation's capital. "I decided to get involved in this, especially over the last few months, and we've done, I think, a really great job," Trump said.

Nonpartisan analysts generally favour Democrats' chances of winning a House majority and see the Senate as competitive. Trump's public approval rating is 32%, near a career low, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Voters say their main concern is the cost of living. Energy prices have risen sharply since the war between the US, Israel and Iran began, rising 20% in the past year, according to the US Consumer Price Index. "For some reason, the sitting president doesn't win the midterms," Trump said.

He added: "But we gave this a very strong shot." After talking about the pool, Trump briefly turned to campaign issues, attacking Democrats as unfit to serve and saying the US had won the war with Iran. Talks to end the war have continued in recent days. In response to Monday's exchange of strikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran on Monday that "the ball is in the US court" when it comes to striking a deal to end the conflict.

He said: "Our demands have been stated very clearly and transparently, and Iran's demands are reasonable and logical." Trump was asked again by reporters on Monday if there were further plans to strike Iran, to which he shook his head and said "No".