US carries out limited 'minor strikes' on Iranian air defense on Qeshm Island; Trump says talks making progress
What happened
US forces carried out limited airstrikes against an Iranian air-defense system on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday night, November 6. President Trump confirmed the action to reporters after landing in West Palm Beach, Florida, calling it a 'minor' strike: 'They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five.' Iranian state media reported two missiles hitting the Suza area of Qeshm Island, without identifying targets or damage. Iran's army said early Saturday it shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the island, a claim the US has not confirmed. Trump insisted 'we are not fighting' and said the US has made 'a lot of progress' in negotiations with Iran, mediated by Qatar.
Why it matters & what’s next are part of Pro, along with the audio summary.
Start your free 14-day trialWho’s affected
- Energy/oil majors and refiners (XOM, CVX) — any Hormuz disruption lifts crude and energy equities; defense contractors (LMT, RTX, NOC) — sustained regional conflict supports orders; airlines and shipping (UAL, DAL, AAL) — higher fuel costs and rerouting risk; broad market (SPX, QQQ) — escalation risk is a headwind, though Friday's session showed markets treating this as contained; gold and Treasuries as safe havens if escalation follows.