Trump says US knocked out Iranian air defense in fresh 'minor' strike

The US military launched another round of strikes on Iran on Friday, and Donald Trump wasn't shy about downplaying it. The president told reporters the target was an air defence system, calling the operation “minor” and boasting it took almost no time at all. “They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five,” he said.

Iranian state media reported hearing two explosions around the Suza area of Qeshm Island, which sits in the strait of Hormuz. That waterway is the planet's key oil-shipping artery, and it has been disrupted since the US war on Iran began in February. The US military had already reported what it called “defensive” strikes on Monday, with explosions heard on Qeshm, Hengam and the mainland near Bandar Abbas.

Friday's action was the first since Trump's Republican party took a beating in Tuesday's midterm elections. Voters punished him partly over how he's running the Iran war, and over the fuel prices that have climbed as a result — a byproduct that has rippled through nearly every corner of the global economy. Since the drubbing, Trump has swung between threatening to “destroy” Iran and hinting a deal to end the war is close.

Iran's nuclear programme remains the hardest sticking point. Trump insists it has to be part of any agreement that stops the fighting. Late Friday, US Central Command announced on X that Washington is offering up to $20m and possible relocation for information on that programme — its facilities, equipment and the scientists and other personnel tied to it, or any movement of the same. The post linked to the state department's Rewards for Justice programme.

Behind the bombs, the talking continues. Trump said mediators are still in discussions with Iran. “We are talking to Iran. We have been,” he told reporters earlier Friday. A flurry of calls between Gulf leaders and beyond has aimed at cooling the region, with nerves high over whether Trump will order yet another round of strikes.

Qatar, which has been mediating between Washington and Tehran, confirmed a call Friday between US defence secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to discuss developments. Doha also confirmed a separate call between Trump and Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, focused on international efforts to calm tensions, according to the ruler's media office.