Trump Confirms New US Strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island Targeting Air Defence System

The update

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US forces carried out what he called minor strikes against an Iranian air defence system on Qeshm Island. Iranian state media reported two missile strikes in the Suza area of the island in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach that Iran had built an anti-aircraft device and US forces knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five. Iran’s army said its air defence forces destroyed a US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm. No casualties were confirmed in either report.

Why it matters

Qeshm sits in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial route for oil shipments disrupted since the war began in February. These were the first US strikes since Trump’s Republican Party was dealt a blow in Tuesday’s midterm elections, and they follow US defensive strikes there on Monday. Trump said talks with Tehran were continuing and claimed much progress, days after threatening to destroy the rest of Iran.

What to watch

Watch whether Washington and Tehran reach a deal, including on Iran’s nuclear programme, and whether further strikes follow. Late on Friday the US offered a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear programme, while mediator Qatar dismissed reports that negotiations had failed.

Sources

• aljazeera.com — confirms Trump’s confirmation, Iranian state media reports from Suza and Iran’s army drone claim
• theguardian.com — confirms the air defence target, Monday’s earlier strikes and Qatar mediation efforts

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