US offers up to $20m for information on Iran nuclear program
President Donald Trump said the US military carried out a new round of limited strikes on Iran on Friday, targeting an air defense system in an action he described as “minor.” The announcement came days after an earlier attack on Iran was made public and as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have accelerated.
In an exchange with reporters on Friday, Trump said: “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 the sound of two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, which sits in the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a crucial waterway for oil shipments and has been disrupted since the beginning of the US war on Iran in February.
The US military had previously reported carrying out what it described as “defensive” strikes on Monday, when explosions were heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.
Friday’s strikes were the first since Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which Trump’s Republican Party suffered a major electoral setback. The result was driven in part by voter dissatisfaction with Trump’s execution of the war and by elevated fuel prices, a byproduct of the conflict that has affected nearly every part of the global economy, according to the Guardian’s reporting.
In the days since the election, Trump has alternated between threatening to “destroy” Iran and suggesting a resolution to the war is near. Differences with Iran over its nuclear program remain the most difficult issue, and Trump insists the matter must be resolved as part of any deal meant to end the war.
Also late Friday, US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, announced in a post on X that the US was offering “a reward of up to $20m and possible relocation for information about Iran’s nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community, or the movement of any of the above.” The post included a link to the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program.
Earlier on Friday, Trump told reporters that mediators’ discussions with Iran continue. “We are talking to Iran. We have been,” he said.
A flurry of diplomatic phone calls in recent days between leaders in the Gulf and beyond has been aimed at easing tensions in the region, and concerns have mounted over the possibility that Trump could still order new strikes against Iran.
According to the Qatari government, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke on Friday with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, about developments. Qatar has been mediating between the US and Iran to end the war. Qatari officials announced the defense officials’ call after confirming that Trump and Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, held a separate call focused on international efforts to end tensions, according to a statement from the emir’s media office.