Iranupdated 26m ago3 min read
Archive photo · 2 June 2025Trump Confirms US Strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, Calls Them “Minor”
“IRIB also reported an Iranian army statement, saying that the country’s air defence forces intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-9 drone”
“US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, announced in a post on X late Friday that the US was offering ‘a reward of up to $20m”
Photo: Daniel Torok / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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US conducts new limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island targeting air defences. Trump calls the action minor; Iranian state media reported two explosions on Qeshm.
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Qeshm strikes confirmed
US President Donald Trump confirmed US military strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, describing them as “minor” and saying, “We do minor strikes,” in an exchange with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. Iranian state media reported two missile strikes in the Suza area of Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, while IRIB reported an Iranian army statement that air defence forces intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island. US Central Command said the situation was “relatively calm,” and a CENTCOM official told Al Jazeera that they were aware of the reports and had no further comment.
Trump said US forces knocked out what he described as an anti-aircraft device in about 15 minutes, “maybe five,” after Iranian state media reported explosions heard on Qeshm Island. CENTCOM announced on X that the US was offering “a reward of up to $20 million” for information about Iran’s nuclear program, including facilities, equipment, and associated personnel.
Talks, mediation, conditions
Trump told reporters that his administration was talking to representatives from Tehran, saying, “We’re dealing with them now. They want to make a deal,” and adding, “We’ve made a lot of progress with Iran,” without providing details.
Qatar dismissed reports claiming negotiations between the US and Iran had failed, and Majed al-Ansari said such claims benefit “only those seeking to prolong the war” in a post on X.
Two Middle Eastern government officials said Iran was reviewing proposals presented by Qatar as mediator, while one official stressed that Iranians remained unwilling to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration about atomic activities until the United States agreed to several fundamental conditions.
The officials said Iran’s demands included ending the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, lifting sanctions, unfreezing its assets, granting compensation for war damages, and ending hostilities across the region, including Israeli operations in Lebanon.
Regional officials said mediators and Iran discussed a possible bridging agreement with confidence-building measures over two days, including lifting the U.S. embargo and releasing part of the billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds.
Escalation stakes
Trump’s confirmation of the Qeshm strikes came as his administration shifted between threatening to “destroy” Iran and suggesting that a resolution to the war was near after Tuesday’s midterm elections in the US.
The Al Jazeera report said Trump blamed the election results on the Iran war, and it said that on Thursday Trump warned the US may have to “destroy” the rest of Iran, adding that people will “know soon enough” if he acts.
The Independent en Español report said the White House declined to comment on Qatar’s proposals, while Trump stated that mediator discussions with Iran continued and that “We’re talking to Iran. We’ve been doing it,”.
The Guardian report said the US military on Friday carried out another round of limited strikes on Iran, describing the action as “minor,” and it said the Strait of Hormuz had been disrupted since the beginning of the US war on Iran in February.
CBS News said the State Department’s Rewards for Justice post called for “information about Iran’s nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel,” and it described Iran’s uranium stockpile as enriched to 60% purity, “a level that is a short technical step from” the 90% level required to produce nuclear weapons.
