US carries out new limited strikes on Iran as Tehran weighs proposals
President Donald Trump said US forces carried out new limited strikes on an Iranian air defence system. Iran is reviewing proposals from mediator Qatar on its nuclear programme.
- Trump said the US struck an Iranian air defence system; Iranian media reported two explosions on Qeshm Island.
- The strikes were the first since the 3 November US midterm elections.
- Iran is reviewing Qatari-presented proposals on its nuclear programme, two officials said.
President Donald Trump said the US military carried out new limited strikes on Iran, targeting an Iranian air defence system. Gulf News reported he gave no further details about the target.
Iranian state media reported two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, which lies in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil shipments. The state news agency IRNA quoted local witnesses as saying two projectiles struck the island after the sound of an aircraft was heard overhead.
Trump described the action in dismissive terms. "They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five," he said. He also told reporters: "it's not a war." On talks, he said: "We are talking to Iran. We have been."
According to Gulf News, the strikes were the first since Republicans lost both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections held on Tuesday. It reported that voter dissatisfaction with Trump's handling of the conflict and high fuel prices contributed to the result. In the days since, Trump has alternated between threatening to destroy Iran and suggesting a resolution is near.
Two Middle East government officials said Iran was reviewing proposals from chief mediator Qatar on differences with the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme. The White House declined to comment on them. Iran remains unwilling to negotiate on its nuclear activities until the US agrees to several core conditions, including ending the blockade of its ports, lifting sanctions, unfreezing assets, paying compensation for war damage and ending hostilities across the region.
Regional officials said mediators and Iran also discussed a possible bridge deal. It would involve two days of trust-building steps, including lifting the US blockade and releasing some frozen Iranian funds. Iran would allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors into sites bombed by the US and Israel, and would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the second day under a modified agreement with Oman that the US has not approved. Extensive talks on Iran's enriched uranium would follow.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity. The war is more than eight months old, and nuclear differences remain its thorniest issue. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke on Friday with his Qatari counterpart, according to the Qatari government.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 7 November that Trump confirmed limited strikes on Qeshm Island while saying talks with Tehran were making progress. On 6 November it reported that Trump said he would soon decide whether to widen the war.
Why it matters
Qeshm lies in the Strait of Hormuz, and the pakistanAngle notes that conflict there affects oil prices, shipping and Pakistani workers in the Gulf. On 7 November, khabr.pk recorded petrol at Rs346 per litre and high-speed diesel at Rs378 per litre in Pakistan. Any change in the talks over reopening the strait would be relevant to fuel costs and to families with relatives working in the Gulf.
