Donald Trump has said the US military on Friday carried out a new round of limited strikes on Iran, targeting an air defence system, describing the action as “minor.”
Iranian state media reported the sound of two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, which is in the strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway for oil shipments that has been disrupted since the beginning of the US war on Iran in February.
In an exchange with reporters on Friday, Trump said “they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five”.
The US military had previously reported carrying out what it described as “defensive” strikes on Monday, when explosions were heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.
Friday’s strikes are the first since Trump’s Republican party was dealt a stunning repudiation in Tuesday’s midterm elections in the US.
The electoral setback was stoked in part by voter dissatisfaction with Trump’s execution of the Iran war and elevated fuel prices – a byproduct of the war that has affected nearly every part of the global economy.
In the days since, Trump has vacillated between threatening to “destroy” Iran and suggesting a resolution to the war is near.
Differences with Iran about its nuclear program remain the thorniest issue and one that Trump insists must be resolved as part of any deal meant to end the war.
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 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”.
The post included a link to the state department’s Rewards for Justice program.
Trump noted earlier Friday in an exchange with reporters that mediators’ discussions with Iran continue.
“We are talking to Iran. We have been,” said Trump.
A flurry of diplomatic phone calls in recent days between leaders in the Gulf and beyond has been aimed at easing tensions in the region. Concerns have mounted over the possibility that Trump could still order the US military to carry out new strikes against Iran.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth spoke on Friday with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, about developments, according to the Qatari government. Qatar has been mediating between the US and Iran to end the war.
The Qatari government announced the call between the countries’ defence officials after confirming earlier that Trump and Qatar’s emir had a separate call to discuss efforts to de-escalate tensions.
The telephone call between Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani focused on international efforts to end tensions, according to a statement from the Qatari ruler’s media office.
With the Associated Press
