Two missiles struck Iran's Qeshm Island early on Saturday, Iranian media reported, in the latest flashpoint in the US-Iran war around the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's most important oil chokepoints.
Satellite image of Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: NASA, public domain.
What Happened on Qeshm Island
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said on Saturday that initial reports indicated two missiles had struck Qeshm Island, adding that there was no official information yet on possible damage. Tasnim said further details would be released once the relevant authorities confirmed the incident.
Iran's state news agency IRNA had earlier reported that local witnesses said two projectiles had struck the Suza area of Qeshm Island, in southern Iran, after the sound of an aircraft was heard over the island. Neither report identified who fired the missiles or what, if anything, was hit, and there was no immediate confirmation from the United States.
Iran Claims It Downed US Drones
Iran's military also claimed its air defences shot down a US MQ-1 drone over Qeshm Island on Friday and an MQ-9 drone on Saturday, according to Iranian state media. The United States has not confirmed either claim. The US Central Command described the situation around Qeshm Island as "relatively calm," Al Jazeera reported.
Qeshm, Iran's largest island, sits at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass. The island has been drawn into the wider US-Iran confrontation in recent days: US forces carried out what Washington called defensive strikes on Qeshm around November 2-3 after Iranian forces fired at US aircraft.
A Strait on Edge
The reported strikes come just days before President Donald Trump said a new US naval mission, called Project Freedom, would begin on Monday to help guide stranded ships through the strait, which remains under a de facto Iranian blockade. Iran has warned that any US interference in the strait would be considered a violation of the ceasefire, and its military has said any foreign armed force attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz would be attacked.
On Saturday, Qatar's International Media Office denied circulating reports that the United States and Iran had failed to reach an agreement to end their war, describing those allegations as false and misleading. The denial underscored how little is publicly known about the state of behind-the-scenes diplomacy, even as military incidents around the strait continue.
What Happens Next
With no official damage assessment and no claim of responsibility, the immediate questions are who fired the missiles and whether the incident marks a new escalation or a contained flare-up. Oil markets, diplomats and military planners will be watching Qeshm and the strait closely in the coming days, with the Project Freedom mission due to start on Monday and no sign yet of a breakthrough in talks to end the war.
Sources: Reuters, The Straits Times, Arab News, The Times of Israel.