US launches new targeted strikes on Iran as Trump claims progress in talks with Tehran

US President Donald Trump told the media on Friday evening that a minor military action targeted Iranian air defense systems on Qeshm Island. They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five, Trump said. The strike follows another series of what the US military called defensive strikes on Monday, when explosions were heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the Strait of Hormuz and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.

Iranian state-run media reported that two missiles hit the Suza area of Qeshm Island without identifying the targets or the damage, while locals went on social media reporting the explosions. Earlier on Friday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed that it shot down a US military drone over southern Iran, but the US did not confirm the claim.

Friday's strike is the first since the Democratic Party scored a major victory in midterm elections, with officials and analysts tying the result to voters' disagreement with Trump's decision to enter into a war with Iran. In an earlier speech in Florida on Friday, Trump appeared to defend his Iran war decision by stating that if I allowed Iran to have a nuclear weapon, today there would be no Israel, and that Israel would have been wiped off the face of the Earth.

Qatar presents new proposals

Qatar rushed to deny conflicting reports about the purported collapse of negotiations, insisting in a statement that Qatari mediators remain in close coordination with the United States and Iran to support ongoing negotiations. Earlier on Friday, two Middle East government officials told AP that Iran was reviewing proposals presented by Qatar aimed at addressing differences with the US about Tehran's nuclear program.

One official stressed that Iranians remain unwilling to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration over their atomic activities until the US agrees to several core conditions that Iran has been demanding be part of any ceasefire agreement. Among the core demands Iran says must be met before engaging in nuclear talks are the ending of the US military blockade on Iran's ports, lifting sanctions, unfreezing its assets, issuing compensation for war damage and ending hostilities throughout the region, including Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Diplomatic efforts intensify

A flurry of diplomatic phone calls between leaders in the Gulf and beyond indicates intense efforts to prevent the resumption of an all-out war which would have devastating consequences for the region. Trump called Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Friday night to discuss the ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region (and) to pave the road for reaching a comprehensive agreement that resolves the crisis.

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth spoke with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to the Qatari government. Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told an Oxford University event on Friday that for the past couple of weeks, we have worked with colleagues in the US administration who have very genuine intentions to find a way to contain the situation and de-escalate it, as this crisis cannot be left unresolved.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he also held phone calls with no less than 12 foreign ministers over the last two days to explain Iran's fundamental positions. In an Instagram post, Araghchi called for regional security arrangements without the interference of superregional powers. Iran's military continued its threatening rhetoric on Saturday, with army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia warning that we will never allow the enemy's bases in the region to be rebuilt. Former head of Israel's military intelligence research department Danny Citrinowicz warned that Tehran is not intimidated by the prospect of another confrontation with the United States and Israel and that the central danger is that Washington may envision another short military operation, while Tehran is preparing for a much broader and potentially prolonged regional war.