Trump confirms US strikes on Qeshm Island, argues 'this is not war'

US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that American forces carried out 'small strikes' on air defence systems on Iran's Qeshm Island. Speaking to journalists in West Palm Beach, Florida, he said an anti-aircraft device built by the Iranians was destroyed in about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that two missile strikes took place in the Suza area of Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, and said the country's air defence forces intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-9 drone flying over the island.

The incidents occurred along a waterway critical to oil exports. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, described the situation as 'relatively calm'.

The exchange marks one of the most direct confrontations between the two countries in the strait in recent months, raising concerns among shipping and energy markets about the safety of traffic through the narrow passage.

Trump's insistence that the strikes do not amount to war signals an attempt to keep the confrontation limited, though Iranian officials have warned that further attacks on their territory would bring a response.