Trump Confirms ‘Minor’ US Strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island as Talks Continue

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that American forces carried out a new round of limited strikes on Iran on Friday, targeting an air defence system on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump described the action as “minor”. “We do minor strikes,” he said. “They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device, and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five.”

Iranian state media reported two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, with no official account of the damage and no casualties reported.

Iran’s state broadcaster said its air defences had destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over the island. The United States has not confirmed any drone loss, and US Central Command described the situation as “relatively calm”.

Why it matters

Qeshm Island sits in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world’s seaborne oil passes. The strait has been disrupted since the US war on Iran began in February, and any fighting there can push oil prices up. Brent crude rose about 3.5 percent on Friday to $97.92 a barrel.

Friday’s strikes were the first reported since Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States, in which Trump’s Republican party suffered heavy losses. The US military had previously reported carrying out what it described as “defensive” strikes on Monday, when explosions were heard on Qeshm and Hengam islands and near the mainland port of Bandar Abbas.

What happens next

At the same time as the strikes, Trump said talks with Tehran are continuing. “We are talking to Iran. We have been,” he said on Friday. Qatar has been mediating between the two sides, and Trump spoke by phone with Qatar’s Emir about efforts to ease tensions. Late on Friday, US Central Command announced that the US is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear programme.

The exact target of Friday’s strikes, the extent of any damage, and whether any aircraft were lost have not been independently confirmed. Mediators will keep pushing for a deal, but the strikes show that military pressure and diplomacy are running side by side — and the risk of a wider escalation around the Strait of Hormuz has not gone away.

Sources

• The Guardian (with the Associated Press), “US carries out another round of ‘minor’ strikes on Iran, Trump says”, 7 November 2026: https://www.europesays.com/3358089/
• EA WorldView, “UPDATES: US War on Iran, Day 254 — ‘Minor’ US Strikes on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz”, 7 November 2026: https://eaworldview.com/2026/11/us-war-on-iran-strikes-qeshm-island-in-strait-of-hormuz/
• Khabr, “Trump confirms new limited US strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island as talks go on”, 7 November 2026: https://khabr.pk/en/news/us-strikes-qeshm-island-iran-talks-continue

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.