US-Iran Strikes Resume Near Hormuz Amid Ceasefire Talks

US forces struck Iranian radar and drone sites over the weekend in what the Pentagon described as self-defense measures after Iran downed an American drone. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by targeting a US airbase in Kuwait, where defense systems intercepted the incoming missiles and drones. The exchange came as President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Tehran “really wants to make a deal” and urged political opponents to “just sit back and relax.”

The back-and-forth underscores the fragile state of a ceasefire that has now lasted nearly two months yet has been punctuated by repeated violations. Both sides have framed their latest actions as limited and defensive, but the incidents near the Strait of Hormuz have kept tensions elevated and complicated broader talks aimed at ending the three-month conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said messages continue to flow between Tehran and Washington, though he tied any final agreement to guarantees on Lebanon, where Israeli forces have pushed deeper into Hezbollah-held territory.

Trump has presented the negotiations as advancing toward a favorable outcome for the United States and its allies. In the same Truth Social post, he complained that “Dumocrats” and some Republicans were making his job harder by second-guessing the pace of talks. He repeated that Iran is eager for an agreement and that everything “will all work out well in the end.” Hours earlier, in an interview with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump that aired on Fox News, the president offered a notably different account of American military achievements. After weeks of claiming that Iranian air and naval forces had been “totally gone,” he said the US had “actually left their military alone” because it was viewed as somewhat moderate and to avoid total state collapse.

The shift drew immediate attention from critics who noted the contrast with earlier boasts of decisive dominance. Trump also described Iranian negotiators as “crafty” and said he was in no rush, arguing that haste produces poor deals. Administration officials have not clarified how the latest strikes fit into the reported framework for extending the ceasefire another sixty days or what concessions either side has offered on Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Kuwait’s foreign ministry condemned the Iranian attack on its territory and warned that repeated violations undermine regional stability. Meanwhile, Iran reported restoring limited gas production at the South Pars field after earlier Israeli strikes and executed two men convicted in connection with January protests. The United States has not detailed casualties from its weekend strikes on sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island.

Negotiations remain stalled on core issues, including future limits on Iranian enrichment and security arrangements involving Israel. Trump has repeatedly signaled confidence in a breakthrough while simultaneously warning that outside commentary complicates the process. With both sides continuing limited strikes and no formal extension of the ceasefire yet agreed, the prospect of renewed escalation remains open even as the White House insists a deal is within reach.