President Donald Trump has asserted that Iran is 'negotiating on fumes' and insisted that November's US midterm elections will not make him rush into a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict. Speaking at a televised White House cabinet meeting, Trump stated, 'They want very much to make a deal. So far they haven't gotten there. We're not satisfied with it, but we will be. Either that or we'll have to just finish the job.'
Fresh US-Iran Strikes Near Strait of Hormuz
The US has carried out new strikes inside Iran, targeting a military facility and downing Iranian attack drones, US officials said, which prompted an apparent Iranian retaliatory attack on an American airbase in Kuwait. US Central Command forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz, according to US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. A ground control station in Iran's Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone was hit by the attacks. 'These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire,' an official told Reuters.
Two hours later, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that the Revolutionary Guards had targeted an American base in Kuwait 'that served as the source of the attack,' in retaliation for the strikes. Kuwait's army confirmed its air defences were intercepting hostile missile and drone threats just before 6am in Kuwait City. The apparent tit-for-tat strikes came as Iranian forces also fired at four ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, IRIB reported. 'Four vessels attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Persian Gulf without coordination with the security forces,' IRIB posted on Telegram, without providing details on the ships.
Trump Threatens Oman Over Strait Control
At the cabinet meeting, Trump also appeared to direct a warning at Oman, a US ally, when asked about a possible short-term arrangement allowing Iran and Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz, which remains choked off. Trump said the strait would be 'open to everybody' and 'Oman will behave just like everybody else or we'll have to blow them up.' The White House did not immediately clarify whether Trump had misspoken. Iranian state TV had earlier claimed it had obtained an unofficial draft of an agreement that would restore commercial shipping through the strait to prewar levels within a month, with Iran and Oman jointly managing traffic. The White House called the report a 'complete fabrication.'
Israel Intensifies Attacks in Lebanon
Another key issue unresolved is whether a US-Iran ceasefire will cover Israel's operations against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon. Iran has insisted Lebanon must be covered by any ceasefire agreement negotiated with the US. On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military is 'deepening its operation' in Lebanon. Overnight, Israel's military clashed with Hezbollah fighters along a strategic river in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops pushed farther north. Hezbollah described 'point-blank range' combat with Israeli forces in a strategic town just beyond an Israeli-declared 'yellow line' in the country's south.
The Israeli military said it had struck 550 targets since the beginning of the week, a significant increase in attacks. Hezbollah has vowed to fight until the war ends in Lebanon and Israel withdraws its troops from the country's south. Hezbollah has dismissed Lebanon's direct talks with Israel and has backed Iran's talks with Washington to end the war. Early on Thursday, Israel's military issued further evacuation warnings for residents of Tyre in Lebanon's south.
Humanitarian Toll
More than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced by Israeli strikes and evacuation orders since 2 March, when Hezbollah fired at Israel in support of Iran. Since then, Israeli strikes have pummelled Lebanon's south, east and its capital Beirut, killing more than 3,200 people, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Fighting has continued despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced on 16 April, which now appears close to collapse. The World Health Organization has said at least 608 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks since the truce. The Israeli military said that 10 of its soldiers had been killed since the ceasefire, six by Hezbollah's explosive drones.
