TEHRAN/BAGHDAD – Iran's air defense force has shot down two US MQ-9 drones over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's state-run Press TV reported on Saturday.
Iran's state news agency IRNA reported earlier that local witnesses said two projectiles hit the Suza area of Qeshm Island.
Al Jazeera, citing an anonymous US Central Command (CENTCOM) official, reported Saturday on social media platform X that the command has "heard the reports about the Qeshm Island."
"Things are relatively calm," the official said, adding that the command has "no comment."
US President Donald Trump said Friday that US forces launched new strikes targeting Iran's air defense systems, describing the military action as "minor."
"They knocked out – they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five," Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The CENTCOM said late Friday on X that the United States is offering a reward of up to $20 million 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."
Iran has said that uranium enrichment is an "inseparable" part of the country's nuclear industry, and that Iran's nuclear program is in compliance with its safeguards agreement with the IAEA and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Regional committee mooted
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein proposed on Friday the establishment of a regional foreign ministers' committee to visit Tehran and Washington to help de-escalate regional tensions and resolve existing differences.
During a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Hussein emphasized the importance of practical steps to contain regional tensions amid the ongoing risk of renewed military operations, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Hussein stressed the importance of maintaining communication and coordination among regional countries, particularly neighboring countries, in support of efforts to prevent escalation and consolidate security and stability.
For his part, Araghchi outlined Iran's vision for resuming negotiations, including setting timelines for talks and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the statement said.
The call came amid heightened regional instability and security risks in the Strait of Hormuz, while regional diplomatic efforts continue to seek pathways for Washington-Tehran engagement.
