Trump claims 'minor strikes' on Iran's Qeshm Island, but says talks ongoing

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the American military carried out a new round of "minor strikes" on Iran' s Qeshm Island, which he claimed "knocked out" Iranian air defence systems. Iranian state media reported that two blasts were heard in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, which lies in the Strait of Hormuz, the contested waterway which has been disrupted since the US launched its assault on Iran in February. The Iranian army said in comments carried by state broadcaster IRIB that their air defences downed a US drone over the island.

But Trump told reporters shortly after that the attacks "knocked out" the air defence systems "in about 15 minutes, maybe five". Responding to reports of the explosions, US Central Command (Centcom) said that the situation is "relatively calm". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In a post on X late on Friday, it said that the US is “offering a reward of up to $20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran’s nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community, or the movement of any of the above”.

This comes after the US military reported that it had conducted what it described as "defensive strikes" on Monday. The latest round of strikes is the first since Trump's Republican Party suffered a crushing defeat in the US midterm elections- a loss which was fuelled in part by Trump's war on Iran and subsequent rocketing of energy prices. Since then, Trump's messaging has been erratic- oscillating between threats to "destroy" Iran and claims that the war is close to being concluded.

Also on Friday, Trump repeatedly claimed to reporters that talks with Iran are ongoing. “We’re dealing with them now. They want to make a deal,” the US president said. “We’ve made a lot of progress with Iran,” he added. Meanwhile, Qatar's foreign ministry has rejected "false claims" that negotiations have stalled. “Promoting such false claims serves only those seeking to prolong the war and destabilise the region,” Majad al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a post on X. Copyright © 2014 - 2026 .

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