Trump confirms new US strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that American forces had struck Iran's Qeshm Island, saying the action came as talks with Tehran were making significant headway.

He told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida that the operation involved minor strikes against Iranian air‑defence assets. “We do minor strikes,” Trump said, adding, “They knocked out – they built a little bit of an anti‑aircraft device, and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five.”

The announcement followed reports from Iranian state media of two missile impacts in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, which lies in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil‑shipping lane. The state broadcaster IRIB also relayed an army statement that Iranian air‑defence forces had intercepted and downed an American MQ‑9 drone over the island.

US Central Command described the overall situation on the island as “relatively calm” after hearing reports of explosions. A CENTCOM spokesperson told Al Jazeera that they were aware of the incidents but declined further comment.

Later that evening CENTCOM posted on X that the United States was offering a reward of up to $20 million, plus possible relocation, for information on Iran’s nuclear programme, its facilities, equipment, related personnel and any movements thereof.

On Monday, Iranian outlets reported several further blasts on Qeshm Island, while US media characterised the actions as “defensive strikes” in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump reiterated to reporters that his administration was in contact with Tehran representatives, stating, “We’re dealing with them now. They want to make a deal,” and adding, “We’ve made a lot of progress with Iran.”

Qatar dismissed claims that US‑Iran negotiations had collapsed, warning that such narratives only aid those “seeking to prolong the war.” Majed al‑Ansari, the Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, wrote on X, “Promoting such false claims serves only those seeking to prolong the war and destabilise the region.”

The Friday strikes were the first since the Republican Party suffered losses in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, a result Trump blamed on the conflict with Iran. He has since oscillated between threatening further action and suggesting a near‑term resolution, even saying the United States may need to “destroy” the rest of Iran and that people would “know soon enough” if he proceeds.

Unnamed Pentagon officials and senior commanders told The New York Times that thousands of US air and naval assets, spread across more than a dozen ships and bases in the Middle East and the United States, stand ready to resume large‑scale combat operations against Iran on Trump’s direction. Tehran, meanwhile, has intensified diplomatic outreach amid the president’s remarks about possible full‑scale strikes.