Trump confirms new US strikes on Iran’s Qeshm island

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US President Donald Trump has confirmed United States military strikes on Iran’s Qeshm island, claiming that Washington has made “a lot of progress” in talks with Iran, reports Al Jazeera.

Trump said on Friday that US forces had carried out what he described as minor strikes against Iranian air defence systems.

“We do minor strikes,” Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. “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 spoke shortly after Iranian state media reported two missile strikes in the Suza area of Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for oil shipments.

State broadcaster IRIB also reported an Iranian army statement, saying that the country’s air defence forces intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over Qeshm island.

In response to reports of explosions heard on Qeshm, US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said the situation is “relatively calm”.

A CENTCOM official told Al Jazeera that they were aware of the reports, adding they had no further comment.

CENTCOM announced in a post on X late on 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”.

On Monday, Iranian media reported several explosions on Qeshm island, as American media outlets reported that the US military carried out what officials called “defensive strikes” in the Strait of Hormuz.