Trump dodges Qeshm strike questions, shrugs off US 'minor strikes' in Iran

President Donald Trump wouldn't say whether the United States was behind reported strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island. Asked directly about responsibility, he waved the question off — but not before offering a hint of how Washington operates there.

Trump told reporters the US carries out what he called 'minor strikes' inside Iran, describing an incident in which an anti-aircraft device was taken out in a matter of minutes. He declined to talk about the Qeshm reports specifically.

The question landed after Iran's state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, said a US MQ9 drone was intercepted and destroyed over Qeshm Island. Iran's army public relations attributed the downing to modern air defense systems operating under the country's integrated air defense network, according to the outlet.

That claim followed earlier reports of explosions and missile impacts around Qeshm and Bandar Khamir, even as the US characterized the situation as 'relatively calm.'

Qatar, meanwhile, is pushing back on rumors about its mediation. Its International Media Office denied reports that Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the US and Iran had failed to reach an agreement, calling them false and misleading and blaming 'fake accounts' trying to undermine diplomacy and push toward more escalation. Qatari mediators say they remain in close coordination with both Washington and Tehran.

Trump also weighed in on a separate conflict, saying he believes Russia and Ukraine want to end their war and predicting a 'very big' settlement. Details on that, and on the Iran situation, are still developing.