In brief
President Trump said U.S. forces carried out minor strikes against Iranian air‑defence systems on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The moves were described as defensive and part of deeper diplomatic talks, though Iranian media blamed two explosions on the island. Trump reiterated that negotiations with Reuters rate "a lot of progress."
Washington officials confirmed that U.S. forces carried out minor strikes against Iranian air‑defence systems on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump told reporters on Friday in West Palm Beach, Florida. The attacks are being framed as defensive and are part of ongoing talks with Tehran, the president said.
"We do minor strikes," Trump said. He added that the air‑defence device was knocked out in a matter of minutes.
They knocked out – they built a little bit of an anti‑aircraft device, and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five.
Iranian state media reported the sound of two missile explosions in the Suza area of the island, with the national broadcaster IRIB claiming the Iranian army intercepted and destroyed an American MQ‑9 drone over Qeshm. Central Command said the situation was “relatively calm” and had no further comment.
In a separate post on X, U.S. Central Command offered a reward of up to $20 million for information related to Iran’s nuclear program. The announcement came after reports of explosions on the island the next day.
Trump said that Washington was actively negotiating with Iranian representatives, adding that “we’ve made a lot of progress.” He did not provide details of the talks but spoke quickly after Iranian media said the troop would be in a “seesaw” position. The statement came amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit route.
According to CBS News, Trump said he will soon decide whether to order new strikes on Iran and that the Qatari emir was acting as a mediator in the ongoing diplomatic effort.
Qatar dismissed reports that negotiations had failed, saying the claims were “beneficial” for those who want to ease tensions.
