Iran’s ballistic missile attack in Kuwait injures US citizens as Washington-Tehran peace deal hangs in the balance | Today’s news
A number of US citizens were reportedly injured in a missile attack on a military base in Kuwait over the past 24 hours, as White House discussions on a possible extension of the truce with Iran ended without a clear outcome.
An Iranian ballistic missile attack on a military base in Kuwait in the past also caused significant damage to two MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the incident who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details were not released.
The source said the missile was successfully intercepted, but debris from the intercept injured about five people, including military personnel and contractors. One MQ-9 Reaper drone was destroyed, while another sustained heavy damage. Each of the drones is worth around $30 million.
Trump’s meeting on Friday ends without a result
The absence of any official announcement after Friday’s Situation Room meeting contrasted with earlier remarks by President Donald Trump, who suggested a deal could be reached soon. The development underscored the mixed signals coming out of Washington about the prospects for a deal with Tehran as the conflict entered its fourth month.
Read also | Trump cites 5 conditions to make final decision on Iran deal
According to the official, Trump is prepared to support the deal only if it meets its key conditions, which include ending Iran’s nuclear program, surrendering its stockpile of enriched uranium and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
In a social media post on Friday, Trump reiterated his position that Iran must never get nuclear weapons and should reopen the Strait of Hormuz without imposing a toll. However, he did not say whether Tehran had accepted the terms.
US officials said Thursday that negotiators had reached a memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire for 60 days and continue discussions on Iran’s nuclear program, subject to Trump’s approval.
Bessent outlines three conditions before an agreement is reached
However, there were soon signs of uncertainty. Hours after the announcement, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stopped short of confirming that a tentative deal had been reached, while JD Vance told reporters that negotiators were still “going back and forth on several points of language”.
Read also | Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Oman, says it ‘will have to act like everybody else’.
Bessent identified three key conditions that must be met before any deal can move forward: Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and abandon its nuclear program. Meanwhile, Trump has offered mixed signals on these contentious issues, leaving uncertainty about the extent of any potential compromise.
In remarks prepared for an event in California on Friday, Bessent indicated that the United States could consider easing some sanctions on Iran, depending on how ongoing tensions and negotiations with Tehran play out.
On the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has previously suggested that the US and Iran could jointly monitor maritime traffic through the waterway. But he said this week that no country would be in control of the strait, adding that the US would “police” it.
Read also | Trump says “oil prices will go down” after Iran conflict ends
Trump has also changed his stance on Iran’s nuclear program. He previously argued that only a permanent suspension would be acceptable, but recently told reporters that a 20-year hiatus from the program would be “sufficient.”
Iran says it doesn’t trust US “words”.
Iran’s position in the negotiations remains unclear. On Friday, Iranian state media said the memorandum of understanding had not yet been finalized and had undergone revisions in recent days.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf expressed skepticism about the process, saying Iran “does not trust guarantees or words” and that “no action will be taken until the other side intervenes.”
Trump has repeatedly said he will not agree to a deal he sees as disadvantageous, even as he rejects suggestions that the conflict has turned into the type of protracted military entanglement he has often criticized.
The confrontation, which Trump previously described as a “field trip,” has now gone well beyond the originally anticipated time frame of four to six weeks.
The latest developments reflect a recurring pattern in the negotiations, with both sides occasionally suggesting a deal is within reach, only to later highlight disagreements over the same outstanding issues.
The shifting rhetoric has caused volatility in financial markets. However, optimism over a possible extension of the ceasefire continued to support investor sentiment and helped stocks close to record weekly gains despite sporadic attacks in the region.
