US President Donald Trump has confirmed that American forces carried out military strikes on Iran's Qeshm island, while asserting that Washington has made significant progress in negotiations with Tehran.
Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday that the strikes were limited in scope. "We do minor strikes," he 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."
The US president spoke shortly after Iranian state media reported two missile strikes in the Suza area of Qeshm island, located in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical route for global oil shipments.
State broadcaster IRIB also carried an Iranian army statement saying the country's air defence forces intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over Qeshm island.
In response to reports of explosions on Qeshm, US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said the situation was "relatively calm." A CENTCOM official said they were aware of the reports but had no further comment.
CENTCOM also announced late Friday 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."
Earlier in the week, Iranian media had reported several explosions on Qeshm island on Monday, as American media outlets reported that the US military carried out what officials described as "defensive strikes" in the Strait of Hormuz.
Friday's confirmed strikes are the first since Trump's Republican Party suffered losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. Trump has publicly blamed the election results on the Iran war.
Since the midterms, Trump has alternated between issuing threats against Iran and suggesting a resolution may be close. On Thursday, he said the US may have to "destroy" the rest of Iran, adding that people would "know soon enough" if he acts.
According to reports, unnamed Pentagon officials and military commanders told sources on Wednesday that thousands of US air and naval forces, deployed across more than a dozen ships and bases throughout the Middle East and the United States, are prepared to resume major combat operations against Iran on Trump's orders.
On the diplomatic front, Trump told reporters several times on Friday that his administration was engaged in talks with representatives from Tehran. "We're dealing with them now. They want to make a deal," he said. "We've made a lot of progress with Iran," he added, without providing further details.
Tehran has stepped up its own diplomatic efforts amid signals from Trump that the US could resume full-scale strikes.
Qatar dismissed reports on Saturday claiming that negotiations between the US and Iran had collapsed, warning that such claims benefit "only those seeking to prolong the war."
"Promoting such false claims serves only those seeking to prolong the war and destabilise the region," said Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said during a public interview at Oxford University on Friday that mediation efforts remain active to prevent a major regional escalation, warning that the crisis "cannot be left unresolved."
"For the past couple of weeks, we have worked with colleagues in the US administration who have very genuine intentions to find a way to contain the situation and de-escalate it," the prime minister said.
He confirmed that mediation efforts continue "to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control," adding that "thanks also to some wise voices in Tehran, we have prevented that from getting out of control."
