Strait of Hormuz: US Strikes Iran and Seizes Ship Amid Stalled Talks

President Trump said US forces on Friday carried out new limited strikes on Iran, targeting an Iranian air defense system. He described the action as "minor." Iranian state media reported two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz.

The same day, the US military said it fired on and disabled a commercial ship after its crew ignored orders to stop and attempted to break the US blockade of Iran.

Qatar is proposing a temporary deal. The US would lift its port blockade and release some frozen funds. Iran would allow nuclear inspectors and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran wants broader concessions before nuclear talks.

The blockade has cycled before. The US first imposed it in mid-April, lifted it in mid-June after an interim deal set a 60-day negotiation window, and reimposed it as fighting over the strait intensified. Talks have stalled.

A fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz in peacetime. Oil prices fell sharply after the midterm elections as markets hoped results might push Trump toward a deal to end the war and reopen the strait. Commercial ships continued coming under attack.

Trump also said at a Nebraska rally that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing backlash from California officials. The White House communications director said Trump was stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped.