Explosions in Strait of Hormuz as Iran reviews de-escalation proposals

Explosions have been heard on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and tankers in the strategic waterway have caught fire after hitting mines.

Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it has lifted a self-imposed limit of 2,000 kilometres on the range of its ballistic missiles.

Here's what to know about the situation in Iran.

For weeks, US President Donald Trump has said he is considering launching a new wave of strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections, which were held on November 3.

The Middle East and beyond have been on edge about the prospects of the US resuming full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months.

The president said on Friday that the US military had carried out new limited strikes against Iran, targeting an Iranian air defence system, describing the action to reporters as "minor".

That same day, he discussed efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East in a call with Qatar's emir, the Gulf state leader's office said.

The two discussed Qatar's mediation efforts, which are aimed at reaching "a comprehensive agreement that ends the crisis and achieves security and stability in the region".

The Associated Press has reported that Iran is reviewing proposals presented by Qatar that address differences with the US about Tehran's nuclear program.

The development is raising hopes that the two sides could be inching toward indirect talks on one of the thorniest issues that Mr Trump says must be resolved as part of any deal meant to end the more than eight-month-old war.

But one of the officials stressed that the Iranians remained unwilling to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration over its atomic activities until the US agreed to several conditions.

Both officials were not authorised to comment publicly on the delicate negotiations and spoke on the condition of anonymity.