Trump says U.S. carried out "minor" strikes on Iran, targeting an air defense system

WASHINGTON (Nov. 7) — President Donald Trump said the U.S. military carried out new limited strikes on Iran on Friday, describing the action as "minor" and saying American forces knocked out an Iranian anti-aircraft device in about 15 minutes — "maybe five."

Trump spoke to reporters shortly after arriving in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday evening, NBC News reported, citing The Associated Press. "They knocked out — they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five," he said.

Iranian state media reported the sound of two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil shipments, according to NBC/AP and Reuters. CNBC noted that Trump did not explicitly confirm that the strikes he described were the same explosions reported on Qeshm, and that he declined to discuss the island by name.

The action follows what U.S. officials described as defensive strikes on Monday against targets near the strait, including Qeshm and Hengam islands and the mainland area of Bandar Abbas, NBC/AP and CNBC reported. Friday's strikes are the first since Republicans lost both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, the Associated Press said.

Trump also said the United States is talking with Iran and claimed progress toward a deal, according to NBC/AP and Reuters. Tehran has demanded concessions — including an end to the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, lifted sanctions and compensation for war damage — before nuclear talks, the same outlets reported. U.S. Central Command separately announced a Rewards for Justice offer of up to $20 million for information about Iran's nuclear program, NBC/AP said.