Qeshm Island Strikes Confirmed as Qatar Pushes Iran Deal

Qeshm Island strikes carried out by US forces were confirmed by President Donald Trump on Friday, who called them minor hits on Iranian air defences, while Qatar said on Saturday that its mediation between Washington and Tehran was still working to stop the conflict from spiralling.

The strikes are the first reported since Tuesday's US midterm elections, in which Trump's Republican Party suffered heavy losses. According to an AP report published by Al Jazeera, Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, that US forces had knocked out an anti-aircraft system Iran had built, saying it took "about 15 minutes, maybe five".

What happened in the Qeshm Island strikes

Qeshm is Iran's largest island and sits in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries a large share of the world's seaborne oil. Iranian media described the latest incident in several ways:

• Iranian state media reported two missile strikes in the Suza area of the island
• The semi-official Tasnim agency said there was no official information yet on damage
• Witnesses quoted by the IRNA agency said two flying objects fell after aircraft were heard overhead
• State broadcaster IRIB carried an army statement saying air defences had shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the island

US Central Command said the situation was "relatively calm" and declined further comment. Separately, it announced a reward of up to US$20 million, with possible relocation, for information about Iran's nuclear programme, its facilities and the people involved. Iranian media had also reported explosions on Qeshm on Monday, when US outlets described American action in the strait as "defensive strikes".

Qatar says a deal is still possible

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said on Saturday that his country's mediation was helping to keep the situation from getting out of control. He said the US administration remained willing to find a solution after the midterms and that significant progress had been made. "We cannot wait to reach a perfect agreement; we hope to reach a good agreement," he said, in remarks carried by Al Jazeera TV and reported by Reuters.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari also rejected reports that the talks had collapsed. He said spreading such claims only helps those who want to prolong the war and destabilise the region.

Trump, for his part, said repeatedly on Friday that Washington was talking to Tehran. "We've made a lot of progress with Iran," he said, without giving details. Only a day earlier he had warned that the US might have to "destroy" the rest of Iran.

The gap between the two sides

Iran has been promoting its own seven-day plan since September, which Trump has so far rejected. According to Reuters, it calls on Washington to lift the blockade of Iranian ports, unfreeze Iranian assets and approve an Iranian-backed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, after which the waterway would be reopened.

Tehran has repeatedly said it would answer new attacks by striking US and Israeli targets in neighbouring countries. The New York Times reported this week, citing unnamed Pentagon officials, that thousands of US air and naval personnel in the region are ready to resume major combat operations if ordered. For background on earlier rounds of diplomacy, see our report on Iran US talks that stalled, and on the risks to shipping in our coverage of Hormuz tanker fires.

Why it matters for Thailand

Thailand imports most of the crude oil it uses, and a large part of it comes from the Gulf. Any escalation around Hormuz can push up fuel prices, shipping and insurance costs, and airfares, all of which feed into the cost of living and tourism in places like Phuket. The midterm result also matters, because it has shaped how Washington talks about the war; our explainer on the US midterm elections sets out the background.

For now, the picture is mixed: limited Qeshm Island strikes on one side, and on the other, a mediator insisting that a "good agreement" is within reach. The next few days should show which of those signals carries more weight.

Photo: satellite view of the area hit by the Qeshm Island strikes in the Strait of Hormuz (NASA, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain).