Trump Confirms New U.S. Strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island

President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. forces carried out new limited strikes on Iran, hitting an air-defense system on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump confirmed the strikes to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, hours after Iranian state media reported two explosions on the island. He called the action minor.

“We do minor strikes,” Trump said. “They knocked out — they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five.”

Trump gave no further details about the target. He did not say when the strike happened or what weapons were used.

Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, reported that two missiles struck the island. Iranian state media said two explosions were heard in the Suza area of Qeshm. Semi-official Iranian outlets reported no casualties. No official damage assessment has been released.

Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, carried a separate army statement saying Iranian air defenses had intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over the island. The Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday its air defenses had also brought down a U.S. MQ-1 drone over Qeshm. The United States has not confirmed either claim.

U.S. Central Command, asked about the reports, said the situation on the island was “relatively calm” and offered no further comment.

Talks continue

Trump said Friday that his administration was talking with representatives from Tehran and had made “a lot of progress.” He gave no details of the talks.

Qatar, which has mediated between the two sides, denied reports on Saturday that the negotiations had failed.

Central Command also announced late Friday that the United States was offering a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment and personnel.

Second round this week

Friday’s strikes were the second round on Qeshm this week. U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal and CNN on Monday that American forces had carried out limited strikes on the island, describing them as defensive. One official told CNN the strike came in response to Iran firing at a U.S. aircraft.

Qeshm sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, about 14 miles from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas. The strait carries about a fifth of the world’s crude oil and natural gas supplies. The island is home to a large underground missile site and a naval base, the Journal reported.

Friday’s strikes were also the first since Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which Republicans lost control of the House and Senate. Trump had said Monday, the day before the vote, that he was not considering strikes after the midterms, though officials told the Journal he was still weighing his options.

Neither the reported missile impacts nor the drone claims have been independently confirmed. The exact U.S. target, any connection between the reported events, and the resulting damage have not been established.