US carries out new targeted strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island amid ongoing talks
US military carried out what it described as limited new airstrikes in southern Iran on Friday night, with the latest action focused on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump said the strike targeted Iranian air defence systems and described it as a minor operation that was completed quickly. He also said the United States was still making progress in negotiations with Tehran through Qatar, even as military activity continued.
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Trump said the strike hit a small anti-aircraft installation and claimed it was knocked out in minutes. Iranian state-run media reported that two missiles struck the Suza area of Qeshm Island, but did not identify the target or the damage. Local residents also reported hearing explosions, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard separately claimed it had shot down a US military drone over southern Iran; the United States has not confirmed that claim.
The latest strike follows earlier US defensive strikes reported on Monday in the same wider area, including Qeshm, Hengam and the nearby mainland around Bandar Abbas. That pattern suggests a continuing cycle of limited military exchanges around one of the world's most sensitive shipping corridors. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global oil and gas exports, so even small-scale incidents there can have wider security and market implications.
The timing also matters because the military action is unfolding alongside diplomacy rather than replacing it. Trump said the United States was not fighting Iran and insisted that talks were still advancing, while Qatar said its mediators remained in close coordination with both sides. That combination of strikes and negotiations points to a fragile effort to manage escalation while keeping a diplomatic channel open.
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Qeshm Island sits close to the Strait of Hormuz and has already featured in earlier reports of explosions and military activity. The island's location makes it strategically significant because it lies near a chokepoint through which a large share of Gulf energy shipments pass. Any confirmed damage to air defence systems, drones or other military assets there could affect how both sides calculate risk in the area.
The incident also comes against a broader backdrop of pressure on Iran's nuclear programme and heightened regional tension. Trump has linked his Iran policy to preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials have continued to frame the dispute as one that can still be handled through dialogue. The overlap between military strikes, nuclear pressure and mediation efforts makes the current phase more complex than a single isolated attack.
What remains unclear is the extent of any damage on Qeshm Island, whether the reported missile strikes and the drone claim refer to the same incident, and whether there were any casualties. It is also not clear how much coordination there was between the reported US action and wider operations in the region. The next developments to watch are whether either side provides firmer confirmation of losses, and whether the situation affects shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or the pace of talks.
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that American forces carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island, describing them as minor attacks on air defence systems. He said the operation took place in the area of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway for global oil shipments. The confirmation came after Iranian state media reported explosions on the island and said air defences had engaged an American MQ-9 drone.
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Trump said the strikes were completed quickly and suggested Washington was making progress in talks with Tehran. He told reporters in Florida that the US had knocked out what he described as a small anti-aircraft installation in minutes. Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported two missile strikes in the Suza area of Qeshm Island and cited an Iranian army statement claiming that an American MQ-9 drone had been intercepted and destroyed.
The latest developments come as the United States also stepped up pressure on Iran's nuclear programme through a new reward offer. The State Department's Rewards for Justice initiative said it is offering up to $20 million, along with possible relocation, for information on Iran's nuclear programme, including facilities, equipment and associated personnel. US Central Command said the programme was aimed at people who could provide knowledge of the movement of those assets, while the State Department said Iran's lack of compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards had led to a loss of continuity of knowledge over centrifuge production and inventory.
The exchange adds a new military dimension to an already tense confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is one of the world's most sensitive shipping routes, and any escalation there can affect commercial traffic, energy markets and regional security calculations. The latest claims from both sides fit a pattern of limited but potentially consequential exchanges around a chokepoint that carries a large share of Gulf oil and gas exports.
The incident also comes against the backdrop of ongoing US-Iran negotiations, which Trump said were still producing progress. That makes the strikes significant not only as a battlefield development but also as a signal of how the two sides are managing pressure while keeping diplomatic channels open. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also said his government is continuing efforts to resolve the conflict through dialogue, underscoring that military activity and diplomacy are unfolding in parallel.
What remains unclear is the extent of the damage, whether any aircraft were lost, and how far the strikes were coordinated with wider US operations in the region. It is also not clear whether the reported drone incident and the missile strikes refer to the same engagement or separate events. The next developments to watch are whether either side confirms casualties or material losses, and whether the confrontation affects shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or the pace of negotiations.
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that American forces carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island, describing them as minor attacks on air defence systems. He said the operation took place in the area of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway for global oil shipments. The confirmation came after Iranian state media reported explosions on the island and said air defences had engaged an American MQ-9 drone.
Trump said the strikes were completed quickly and suggested Washington was making progress in talks with Tehran. He told reporters in Florida that the US had knocked out what he described as a small anti-aircraft installation in minutes. Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported two missile strikes in the Suza area of Qeshm Island and cited an Iranian army statement claiming that an American MQ-9 drone had been intercepted and destroyed.
US Central Command said it was aware of the reports and described the situation as relatively calm, while declining to give further comment. The exchange adds a new military dimension to an already tense confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is one of the world's most sensitive shipping routes, and any escalation there can affect commercial traffic, energy markets and regional security calculations.
The incident also comes against the backdrop of ongoing US-Iran negotiations, which Trump said were still producing progress. That makes the strikes significant not only as a battlefield development but also as a signal of how the two sides are managing pressure while keeping diplomatic channels open. The timing suggests military activity and diplomacy are unfolding in parallel rather than in sequence, increasing uncertainty over how durable any understanding between Washington and Tehran may be.
Qeshm Island sits close to the Strait of Hormuz and has featured in earlier reports of explosions and military activity. Iranian media had previously reported several blasts there, while American outlets reported US defensive strikes in the same wider area. The latest claims from both sides fit a pattern of limited but potentially consequential exchanges around a chokepoint that carries a large share of Gulf oil and gas exports.
What remains unclear is the extent of the damage, whether any aircraft were lost, and how far the strikes were coordinated with wider US operations in the region. It is also not clear whether the reported drone incident and the missile strikes refer to the same engagement or separate events. The next developments to watch are whether either side confirms casualties or material losses, and whether the confrontation affects shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or the pace of negotiations.
A senior Iranian lawmaker has said the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz is not sustainable, as Iran and the United States continue what he described as concurrent blockades in the strategic waterway. Manouchehr Mottaki, a member of parliament and a former foreign minister, said cargo ships are being immobilised or stranded there on a daily basis. He said the closure of Hormuz has become the root of the wider regional crisis.
Mottaki said the immediate obstacle to moving beyond the current situation is what he called an illegal American blockade, which he said violates international law. He also said Tehran has imposed its own blockade and is allowing vessels from China, India, Iraq and Qatar to pass freely while blocking or targeting ships from countries it considers aligned with Washington. According to his account, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has spent the past 10 days trying to reduce unauthorised transit through the strait to zero.
He said that every day three, four, five or even seven ships are being immobilised or stranded at sea after encounters with mines or drone and missile projectiles. The comments add to the picture of a chokepoint under sustained pressure, with direct implications for commercial shipping and energy flows through one of the world's most important maritime routes. Mottaki also called on Washington to lift the naval blockade as a precondition for resuming talks, linking the maritime dispute to broader diplomatic efforts.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage between Iran and Oman through which a large share of Gulf oil and gas exports normally move. Any prolonged disruption there can affect freight costs, insurance premiums and the movement of energy supplies well beyond the region. The latest remarks suggest Tehran is treating access to the strait as leverage in a wider confrontation, while also trying to preserve limited trade links with selected partners.
The interview came as Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, travelled to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin. According to media outlets close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he is carrying a message from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, with the main subject understood to be how to end the war. Mottaki also referred to the need to move beyond a state of neither war nor peace, indicating that the maritime restrictions are tied to a broader political and security calculation.
What remains unclear is how formal the exemptions for the four named countries are, how they are being enforced at sea, and whether they will hold if the confrontation escalates further. It is also not clear how the United States or other naval forces will respond to the reported restrictions and attacks in the strait. The next developments to watch are whether shipping through Hormuz continues under the current selective access arrangement and whether any diplomatic channel can produce a wider de-escalation.
Iran has exempted ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar from restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian lawmaker. Amir Hayat Moqaddam, deputy chairman of parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said vessels from those countries can pass through the waterway freely. He also said the Americans do not intercept them, framing the arrangement as part of Tehran's response to the wider conflict.
The comments were reported on Tuesday and come as the Strait of Hormuz remains a central pressure point in the confrontation involving Iran and the United States. Iran effectively shut the strait early in the war that began on 28 February, and the United States reimposed a naval blockade on Iran's southern ports in July, according to the report. The lawmaker did not provide details on how the exemptions are being enforced at sea or whether they apply to all cargoes and routes.
Hayat Moqaddam said the arrangement would bring practical benefits for Tehran. He said Iran would receive medicine from India and political backing from China, while also collecting transit fees from Indian and Chinese ships. He added that Qatari vessels would pass free of charge, but did not say whether Iraqi ships would pay a toll.
The report said the exemptions are being presented as a selective access arrangement rather than a full reopening of the strait. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, and any change in access can affect energy flows, shipping costs and regional diplomacy. Iran's decision to allow passage for some countries while restricting others suggests an attempt to use maritime access as leverage in a broader political and economic struggle.
It also highlights how Tehran is trying to balance pressure from the blockade with the need to keep trade and diplomatic channels open. Analysts quoted in the report said the move carries political risks as well as potential gains. One said the key question is whether the arrangement works in practice and, if so, to what extent.
Another said Iran has long used barter and quid pro quos under sanctions, but that the current situation is different because it is about creating holes in an embargo and securing crucial goods and services in and out of the country. The report also pointed to the role of the four countries named in the exemption. China is described as the largest purchaser of Iranian crude oil, while Qatar is said to be leading mediation efforts to end the war.
India is linked in the report to medicine supplies, and Iraq is included in the list without a clear explanation of any payment terms. That mix suggests Tehran is using the exemptions to reward partners, secure supplies and preserve some revenue despite the blockade. What remains unclear is how consistently the exemptions will be applied, whether they will survive any further escalation, and how the United States or other naval forces will respond.
It is also not clear whether the arrangement is formal policy, an operational understanding, or a temporary measure tied to the current conflict. The next developments to watch are whether ships from the four countries continue to move through the strait without interference and whether Tehran expands or narrows the exemptions.
