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

The U.S. military carried out what it said were new limited airstrikes in southern Iran on Friday evening, further raising fears in the Middle East and among Gulf states over the possible resumption of all-out war, but Qatar and the United States insisted negotiations for a diplomatic settlement continued.

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US President Donald Trump told media on Friday evening that a “minor” military action had targeted Iranian air defense systems on the island of Qeshm.

“They built a little anti-aircraft device and we took it down in about 15 minutes, maybe five,” Trump said.

Trump insisted that “we are not fighting” and clarified that along with the “minor strike,” the United States has made “a lot of progress with Iran” in ongoing negotiations led by chief mediator Qatar.

“We’re dealing with them now. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.

Iranian state media reported that two missiles hit the Suza area of ​​Qeshm island without identifying the targets or damage, while residents relayed the explosions on social media.

Earlier on Friday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) claimed to have shot down a US military drone over southern Iran, but the US has not confirmed the claim.

Friday’s strike is the first since the Democratic Party scored a major victory in the midterm elections, with officials and analysts linking the outcome to voters’ disagreement with Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran.

The attack follows another round of what the U.S. military described as defensive strikes on Monday, when explosions were heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the Strait of Hormuz and the neighboring mainland area of ​​Bandar Abbas.

In a speech Friday in Florida, Trump appeared to defend his decision to wage war against Iran by declaring that “if I had allowed Iran to have nuclear weapons, there would be no Israel today” and that “Israel would have been wiped off the face of the Earth.”

Qatar presents new proposals to Iranian officials

Qatar rushed to deny conflicting reports circulating Friday evening about the alleged failure of the negotiations, insisting in a statement that “Qatari mediators remain in close coordination with the United States and Iran to support the ongoing negotiations.”

Earlier Friday, two Mideast government officials told AP that Iran was reviewing proposals presented by Qatar aimed at ironing out differences with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.

But one of the officials stressed that the Iranians, at least for now, remain reluctant to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration over their nuclear activities until the United States agrees to several core conditions that Iran has demanded to be part of any ceasefire deal, according to the AP.

Differences with Iran over its nuclear program remain the thorniest issue, and Trump insists they must be resolved as part of any deal to end the more than eight-month-old war.

Tehran is insisting on several concessions from the United States, which Trump has refused in the past. Among the main demands that Iran believes it must meet before engaging in nuclear negotiations are an end to the US military blockade on Iranian ports, the lifting of sanctions, the unfreezing of its assets, the provision of compensation for war damages and an end to hostilities throughout the region, including Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, a series of diplomatic phone calls between leaders in the Gulf and beyond demonstrate intense efforts to prevent the resumption of all-out war that would have devastating consequences for the region.

Trump called Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Friday evening to discuss “ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at defusing tensions in the region (and) paving the way for a comprehensive agreement that would resolve the crisis and ensure security and stability in the region,” according to the Qatar National News Agency.

“In this regard, His Highness stressed the importance of continuing dialogue and adopting diplomacy as a means of resolving disputes, preventing further escalation in the region and safeguarding freedom of maritime navigation and security of energy supplies,” the statement said.

Also on Friday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to the Qatari government.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said Friday during an event at Oxford University that “in recent weeks, we have been working with colleagues in the US administration who have very sincere intentions to find a way to contain the situation and de-escalate it”, because this crisis “cannot remain unresolved”.

He insisted that the ongoing negotiations aim “to prevent the situation from getting out of control” and that “thanks also to some wise voices in Tehran, we have prevented the situation from getting out of control.”

“We will never get a perfect peace deal, but we cannot just wait for the moment when a perfect deal happens and avoid reaching a good deal,” the Qatari prime minister said. “Our commitment has not stopped and will not stop.”

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he also had phone calls with as many as 12 foreign ministers over the past two days to explain Iran’s “fundamental positions.”

In an Instagram post, Araghchi called for “regional security arrangements without interference from super-regional powers.”

The Iranian military continued its threatening rhetoric on Saturday, with army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia warning that “we will never allow the reconstruction of enemy bases in the region”, Iran’s Fars news agency reported.

Former head of the Israeli military intelligence research department and Iran specialist Danny Citrinowicz said in an article on X that “Tehran is not intimidated by the prospect of a new confrontation with the United States and Israel.”

“If attacked, Iran will likely seek to expand the war from the start, targeting Gulf states it sees as a vulnerable pressure point against Washington.”

“Tehran is also improving its missile capabilities and preparing its regional partners, including Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi Shiite militias, for possible involvement,” Citrinowicz said.

“Iran’s leaders believe they can resist a new military campaign, impose significant costs on the United States and its allies, and ultimately force Washington to accept the regime’s survival,” he added.

“The main danger is that Washington is planning another short-lived military operation, while Tehran prepares for a much larger and potentially prolonged regional war.”