Trump confirms new US strikes near Qeshm Island, Iran

US forces hit Iran again on Friday – just three days after President Donald Trump’s own party lost control of Congress.

Trump said American forces carried out what he called a “minor” strike, destroying an Iranian air defence system built near Qeshm Island, right inside the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported hearing two explosions in the Suza area of the island. Trump gave no further details about the target, only saying US forces destroyed it within minutes.

If you live in Kuwait, the Strait of Hormuz matters a lot – it’s the route most of the Gulf’s oil and a good share of our shipping passes through. We’ve been tracking earlier US strikes near Hormuz for exactly that reason.

Why Friday’s strike happened now

US officials have said for a while that Israeli strikes in June 2025, and the early weeks of the current conflict, destroyed or badly damaged most of Iran’s air defences. But they’ve also warned Tehran would slowly rebuild. Friday’s strike appears to target exactly that kind of rebuilding effort.

It wasn’t the only recent US action. On Monday, the US carried out what it called defensive strikes on Qeshm and Hengam islands, and near Bandar Abbas on Iran’s southern coast. As we covered on 3 November, US strikes near Hormuz continued even as talks went on, and separately Trump had claimed Iran’s air defences were largely gone after an earlier strike.

Tuesday’s midterm elections were rough for Trump. His party lost both the House and Senate, as we reported in our piece on Democrats retaking the Senate. Voters were unhappy about how the war was being handled and about higher fuel prices. Since then, Trump has gone back and forth – sometimes threatening more strikes, sometimes suggesting a deal is close. We looked at that pattern in Trump’s renewed strike threat as Tehran warned of a longer war.

So what is Qatar actually proposing?

While the strikes continue, Qatar has handed Tehran a plan meant to close the gap with Washington over Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran says it won’t go back to nuclear talks until the US meets several conditions: ending its blockade of Iranian ports, lifting sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets, paying for war damage, and stopping hostilities in the region, including Israeli operations in Lebanon.

Qatar’s plan is built around a two-day confidence-building arrangement. On day one, Washington would lift its blockade and release some frozen Iranian funds. In return, Iran would let International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors visit nuclear sites that the US and Israel bombed.

On day two, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, using a modified version of an arrangement it had already agreed with Oman – one Washington hasn’t approved yet. This would be temporary, staying in place until a full agreement involving other Gulf states is worked out.

If both sides get through those steps, broader talks would follow on Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the rest of its nuclear programme. The IAEA says Iran holds 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity – close to the 90% level considered weapons-grade. Iran continues to say its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Who else is involved

Diplomacy has picked up pace across the region. Trump spoke with Qatar’s Emir about de-escalating tensions, and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke with his Qatari counterpart. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with his Iraqi and Tunisian counterparts about the situation and possible negotiations with Washington.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, urged both sides to show flexibility and find a compromise, warning against another round of escalation. Egypt also raised the importance of political negotiations in talks with the UAE.

Separately, US Central Command announced a reward of up to $20 million, plus possible relocation, for information on Iran’s nuclear programme – its facilities, equipment, staff and movements.

What this means if you’re in Kuwait

None of this changes daily life here right now, but it’s exactly the kind of story worth following if you work in shipping, logistics, aviation or anything tied to fuel prices. Any disruption to the Strait of Hormuz tends to show up quickly in oil markets and shipping costs across the Gulf, Kuwait included. For more on the region, see our international news coverage.

We’ve also been covering how residents here should think about the risk of a wider conflict, including in our explainer on what rising Iran-war tensions mean for people in Kuwait and the piece on Iran’s nuclear attack guidance and what it means here.

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