The US president also claims that “a lot of progress” has been made in Washington negotiations with the Iranian government.
Published November 7, 2026
US President Donald Trump acknowledged the US military attack on Iran’s Qeshm island and claimed the US had made “significant progress” in talks with Iran.
President Trump said Friday that the U.S. military carried out what he described as a small attack on Iranian air defense systems.
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“We’re going to have a small strike,” President Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. “They destroyed it. They created a little anti-aircraft device, but we destroyed it in about 15 minutes, maybe five minutes.”
President Trump made the remarks shortly after Iranian state media reported two missile attacks on the Suza area of Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil shipments.
State broadcaster IRIB also reported a statement from the Iranian military, saying that the country’s air defense intercepted and destroyed a U.S. MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island.
Responding to reports that explosions were heard on Iran’s Qeshm Island, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said the situation was “relatively calm.”
A CENTCOM official told Al Jazeera that they were aware of the report, adding that they had no further comment.
In a post to X late Friday, CENTCOM announced that the United States is “offering up to $20 million in rewards and possible transfers for information regarding Iran’s nuclear program, including facilities, equipment, relevant personnel, including members of the scientific community, or movements in any of the above.”
On Monday, Iranian media reported multiple explosions on Qeshm Island, while American media also reported that U.S. forces carried out what authorities called a “defensive strike” in the Strait of Hormuz.
ongoing discussions
President Trump told reporters several times on Friday that his administration was consulting with representatives in Tehran.
“We are dealing with them now. They want an agreement,” the US president said.
He did not provide further details, but added that “a lot of progress has been made with Iran.”
Qatar on Saturday dismissed reports claiming that negotiations between the United States and Iran had failed, warning that such claims only benefit “those who seek to prolong the war.”
“Promoting such false claims only benefits those who seek to prolong the war and destabilize the region,” Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari said in a post on X.
Friday’s walkout is the first since Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections hurt President Trump’s Republican Party. President Trump blamed the election results on the Iran war.
Since Tuesday’s midterm elections, President Trump has oscillated between threatening Iran and suggesting a resolution to the war is near. On Thursday, President Trump said the United States may need to “destroy” the rest of Iran, adding that the nation “will immediately know” if he acts.
Anonymous Pentagon officials and military commanders told The New York Times on Wednesday that thousands of U.S. Air Force and Navy troops aboard more than a dozen ships, stationed around the Middle East and at bases in the United States, are ready to resume large-scale combat operations against Iran under President Trump’s orders.
The Iranian government has stepped up its diplomatic efforts following President Trump’s suggestion that the United States may resume a full-scale attack on Iran.
