United States Conducts Defensive Military Strikes on Qeshm Island

United States military forces carried out limited airstrikes against an anti-aircraft facility on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

United States President Donald Trump confirmed the operation during an interview on Fox News, describing the action as a minor attack executed immediately after the construction of the facility was completed. Unnamed United States officials characterized the operation as a defensive measure taken after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired a surface-to-air missile at an American warplane, which fired back in self-defense.

Additional reports indicated that another strike occurred after United States forces intercepted a missile fired from Qeshm Island at a commercial vessel. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported five explosions in rapid succession on the island, while Iranian officials stated that Tehran downed two reconnaissance drones and an MQ-9 Reaper drone. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that the country maintains the right to legitimate self-defense.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that his government continues to seek a resolution through dialogue and warned that no party would benefit from a renewed war. The strikes unfolded as international mediators pursued last-minute negotiations to avert a broader military escalation, though Major General Mohsen Rezaei rejected a ceasefire proposal passed through Qatari negotiators as insufficient.