Opening summary
The US has intercepted and downed four attack drones, according to US officials, prompting an apparent Iranian retaliatory strike on an American airbase in Kuwait, signaling ongoing tensions and the difficulty of reaching a peace agreement.
US Central Command forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat near the Strait of Hormuz, officials stated. Additionally, they targeted a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth drone. Iranian state broadcaster Irib reported later on Thursday that the Revolutionary Guards had targeted an American base in Kuwait, which it described as "the source of the attack."
Kuwait’s army confirmed that its air defenses were intercepting missile and drone threats just before 6am in Kuwait City.
Earlier, former US President Donald Trump suggested that Iran and Oman would manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a potential deal to end the conflict.
Oil prices rose on Thursday, reversing much of Wednesday’s decline amid the renewed tensions. Trump warned he might have to “finish the job,” while Tehran stated its forces remain “lying in wait with full magazines.” Brent North Sea crude, the main international benchmark, increased by 1.8% in Thursday morning trading to $95.95 a barrel.
However, mixed signals highlighted the fragile nature of negotiations. Iran indicated that a return to war was unlikely, while Trump told a televised White House cabinet meeting that Tehran “very much” wanted a deal but had not yet made sufficient offers.
“So far they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be,”
the US president said.“Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job.”
Other main developments
The Israeli military declared a new section of southern Lebanon a combat zone and advised residents in the area to move north, warning it would act “with great force” against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in the region. This statement on Wednesday appeared to indicate further escalation following more than 120 strikes on Lebanon’s south and east on Tuesday, despite a ceasefire.
The major Lebanese city of Tyre has been under continuous Israeli bombardment, according to local media reports. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated they are targeting Hezbollah positions in this ancient coastal city in southern Lebanon, a day after issuing a warning that forced thousands of residents to evacuate Tyre and surrounding areas. Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that two people were killed in Tyre in an Israeli drone strike on Thursday morning.
Trump appeared to issue a warning directed at Oman—a US ally and mediator in the Iran conflict—when asked about a possible short-term arrangement allowing Iran and Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz. He responded,
“No, the strait is going to be open to everybody. It’s international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that, they’ll be fine.”
Trump’s rhetoric, however, would not compel Iran to retreat from its demands to enrich uranium, assert authority over the strait, and see sanctions lifted, said Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee. Azizi commented on X,
“It is obvious Trump, seeking a way out of this strategic deadlock, alternates between issuing threats and appealing for an agreement.”
Hamas confirmed that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City killed the new leader of Hamas’ military wing. The group stated on Wednesday that Mohammed Odeh was killed the previous day, along with his wife and two of his children.
Additional Israeli strikes in Gaza City on Wednesday evening resulted in at least seven deaths, including two children and a woman. More than 20 people were wounded, including several children, according to Shifa hospital.
