President Donald Trump confirmed that the American military conducted new limited strikes on Iran on Friday, targeting an Iranian air defence system. Trump described the military action as “minor” during an exchange with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, shortly after arriving on Friday evening. He stated, “They knocked out – 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 the sound of two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, a location situated in a crucial waterway for oil shipments. While Trump did not provide further details on the specific target, US officials have reported that most of Iran’s air defence systems were either destroyed or severely degraded during a June 2025 bombardment by Israel and during the early stages of the current conflict. US officials have assessed that Iran would attempt to rebuild these systems and other military infrastructure over time.
The Friday strikes mark the first military action since the Republican Party suffered a "stunning repudiation" in the US midterm elections on Tuesday, where they lost both chambers of Congress. The electoral setback was fueled in part by voter dissatisfaction regarding Trump’s handling of the conflict and the resulting elevated fuel prices, which have impacted nearly every sector of the global economy. Since the election, Trump has vacillated between suggesting a resolution to the war is near and threatening to “destroy” Iran.
The US military also reported carrying out defensive strikes on Monday. During those actions, explosions were heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.
Regarding diplomatic efforts, two Middle East government officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that Iran is reviewing proposals presented by chief mediator Qatar to address differences with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme. However, one official stressed that Iran remains unwilling to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration over atomic activities until the US agrees to several core conditions Iran has been demanding be part of any ceasefire agreement.
