Donald Trump has confirmed that U.S. forces have carried out fresh strikes on Iranian air defenses on Qeshm Island after vessels were targeted in the Strait of Hormuz. The Wall Street Journal first reported the strikes, citing U.S. officials who said American forces hit military positions on the island and described the operation as defensive.
Speaking to reporters, Trump characterized the military action as “minor.” “They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five,” he said after arriving in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday evening.
Friday’s strikes are the first since Trump’s Republican Party suffered a major defeat in Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. Over the past week, at least 11 ships were attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz, with three reportedly sinking, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
Qatar emerges as a key mediator between US and Iran
The Republican defeat in both chambers of Congress was fueled in part by voter dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the conflict and the spike in fuel prices, a consequence of the Iran war that has impacted nearly every sector of the global economy. In the aftermath of the GOP’s loss, Trump has alternated between threatening to destroy Iran and suggesting that a resolution to the conflict may be near.
However, Trump said that it’s unlikely that the US will resume the war in Iran as long as talks over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program continue to make progress. “It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump said in a phone interview with CNN. “The answer is highly unlikely it’s going to be necessary. They’re a failing nation. It just came out, you saw this year, 301% inflation. Highly unlikely it will be necessary.” “So it’s highly unlikely I’ll have to,” he went on. “They’re withering away financially. We’ve hit them militarily. We could finish them off.”
Trump, however, left the possibility of further strikes open if he considers it necessary. He reiterated his threats to target bridges and power plants in Iran should the conflict resume. “I’ve got three aircraft carriers here. The other one just arrived. We have three. They’re fully locked and loaded,” Trump said. “We have 38 bridges in our sights that we can knock down in literally one hour.”
Qatar, which has been mediating talks to end a conflict that has shaken the world economy, denied reports that the US and Iran had failed to reach a deal. Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said both sides were continuing to work toward an agreement. According to Reuters, Iran has submitted a nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatar, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday, saying the US was reviewing it. Still, discussions would depend on Washington first meeting Tehran’s demands.
Published: Nov 9, 2026 05:00 am