Official Iranian media reported that two explosions were heard on Friday (November 6, 2026) in the Susa region of Qeshm Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil shipments.
US President Donald Trump, during an interview with reporters, described the military action as "limited." “They built a small air defense facility, but we completely destroyed it in 15 minutes, or maybe five minutes,” Trump told reporters shortly after arriving in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday evening.
Trump did not provide further details about the target, but US officials reported that most of Iran's air defense systems were destroyed or severely damaged during the Israeli bombing in June 2025, and in the early stages of the current conflict. US officials estimated that Iran would attempt to rebuild these systems and other military infrastructure over time.
The US military also announced the implementation of what it described as defensive strikes on Monday. Explosions were heard on the islands of Qeshm and Henjam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and in the nearby Bandar Abbas region on the mainland.
Friday's strikes are the first since the unexpected defeat suffered by the Republican Party in the US midterm elections last Tuesday. During the days that followed the Republicans' crushing defeat at the ballot boxes, Trump's positions oscillated between threatening to "destroy" Iran and suggesting that a settlement that would end the war was imminent.
Earlier on Friday, two Middle Eastern government officials said Iran was reviewing proposals made by Qatar, the main mediator, aimed at addressing differences with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program.
A reward of $20 million for anyone who provides information about the "Iranian nuclear program"
Meanwhile, US Central Command, which is responsible for overseeing US military operations in the Middle East, announced in a post on the X website late Friday evening that the United States is offering “a reward of up to $20 million, with the possibility of providing repatriation, in exchange for information regarding the Iranian nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, associated personnel, such as those working in the scientific community, or the movements of any of the above.”
The post included a link to the US State Department's "Rewards for Justice" program. The program was established in 1984 with the aim of providing sums of money in exchange for information that helps protect the lives and interests of Americans.
US President Donald Trump, after a meeting with his national security advisers, denied any potential impact of the losses in the midterm elections in Congress on his plans regarding Iran. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said: “We are currently making more weapons in our military than we have ever made before, and we are fully prepared.” He added: "If we have to continue dealing with Iran, we are fully prepared."
"Do we want to move forward" with attacks to ensure that Iran's nuclear program is eliminated and "it doesn't happen again?" he said. "I wouldn't rather destroy the rest of the country if I could, but I might have to. You'll know soon enough."
Trump continued that the United States had achieved “everything we could to control” regarding Iran. Now we will make a decision."
It is noteworthy that President Trump has threatened for weeks to return to bombing Iran on a large scale once the US elections are over, if Tehran does not reach a settlement on terms acceptable to him.
The US President reiterated his position on the "necessity" for Iran to provide commitments regarding its nuclear program in any potential agreement.
Meanwhile, the American news site Axios quoted an American official as saying that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is strengthening preparations for the possible resumption of major military operations in Iran. However, it has not yet received new orders from Washington.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday (November 5, 2026) that Tehran had sent a nuclear proposal to the United States via Qatar. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that Washington is currently reviewing the nuclear proposal presented by Tehran.
Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary-General of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, said earlier today during his visit to Russia, “We announced to the Americans seven conditions regarding diplomacy. Unless they implement these seven conditions, we will not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be opened, and we will not enter into any negotiations.”
Iran demands, among other conditions, the lifting of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and compensation for the war, while Washington stresses that nuclear issues must be part of any initial negotiations.
Sources suggest that Trump will order a strike on Iran again
For his part, US President Donald Trump said today that Iran cannot do anything related to its nuclear program without obtaining the approval of the United States. He added to reporters in the Oval Office, in response to a question about proposals presented by mediators to Iran regarding the future of its nuclear program, “They do not do anything without our approval.”
Regarding Iran, Trump said a decision must be made whether to move forward with additional steps or “ratify the agreement.”
Sources told Reuters that Trump would order the resumption of hostilities. One of the sources said, "He is planning to bomb Iran. Don't believe what he says. He postponed that because of the midterm elections. We asked him to postpone the matter until the end of those elections." The other source said that Trump "has nothing to lose politically now" after the midterm elections are over.
Judicial documents declassified today, Thursday (November 5, 2026), show that the administration of US President Donald Trump announced, in mid-October, that it still intends to deport Iranians via an undisclosed third country, although it is not clear when it intends to carry out the deportations.
The judge assigned to consider the case ordered the US administration to notify the court 24 hours before of any final plans to deport Iranians to Iran or to any other country, and to provide written notice five days before carrying out any such deportation.
The documents show that the US administration maintained contact with Iranian officials during the war regarding deportations, specifically to provide travel documents and research “possible ways to carry out deportations.”
Judge: “We are at war with a state that Trump described as lawless.”
“We are at war with a state that the president of the United States described, just two or three days ago, if not yesterday, as a state without law... a state that is an enemy of the United States, according to the current president,” Judge Ana Reyes said, according to the minutes of the October 15 hearing. “And a state that has killed tens of thousands of protesters, according to our president.”
Dimitar Georgiev-Rimmel, a US Department of Justice lawyer, responded: “Yes, Your Honor. The government is executing lawful deportation orders.”
This development came in the context of a lawsuit that is still pending, accusing immigration agencies affiliated with the Trump administration of sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, according to what was stated in the memorandums submitted to the court.
“Coordinated campaign between the US and Iranian governments”
The lawsuit depicts a coordinated campaign between the US and Iranian governments to identify Iranians detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and to pressure them to return to Iran, in a remarkable shift from decades of diplomatic hostility between the two governments, and in light of the continuing war between the two countries.
The US Department of Homeland Security denies sharing asylum application records with the Iranian government.
Hundreds of emails exchanged between US immigration officials revealed how the two countries cooperated to arrange the return of more than 100 Iranians by air to Iran, on three deportation flights, in September and December 2025 and January 2026.
Deportations of Iranians to their country are historically rare, due to the lack of diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran, as well as the possibility that they will be subjected to persecution if they are returned to Iran.
