Americans Hurt at Kuwaiti Air Base as Trump's Mixed Signals Cloud Iran Ceasefire Talks

On the same day a White House meeting on the Iran ceasefire broke up without an announcement, word emerged that several Americans had been hurt at a Kuwaiti air base. An Iranian ballistic missile struck toward the base within the past 24 hours, according to a person with direct knowledge of the attack who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details are not public.

The missile itself was intercepted, but falling debris injured about five people, the person said. They included both contractors and active duty personnel, and the injuries were described as minor. The debris also hit the base's aircraft: one MQ-9 Reaper strike drone was destroyed and at least one other seriously damaged. The drones cost about $30 million each. U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The attack came as the conflict with Iran enters its fourth month. On Friday, President Donald Trump convened a two-hour Situation Room meeting to discuss extending the truce. Earlier, he had posted on social media that he was ready to make a "final determination" on a preliminary agreement. Yet the meeting ended with no announcement from the president, according to a White House official who asked not to be named. That official said Trump will accept only a deal that meets his red lines: Iran must give up its nuclear program, surrender its enriched uranium stockpile, and open the Strait of Hormuz.

The silence followed a day of mixed messages. On Thursday, U.S. officials confirmed that negotiators had reached a memorandum of understanding that would extend the ceasefire by 60 days and open further talks on the nuclear issue, pending Trump's approval. Hours later, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined to acknowledge a tentative deal, and Vice President JD Vance told reporters the two sides were "going back and forth on a couple of language points." In prepared remarks in California on Friday, Bessent suggested some sanctions on Iran could be lifted, depending on how the standoff develops. He also said, "Everything depends on what the president wants to do."

Trump's own positions have shifted. On Hormuz, he once said Iran and the U.S. could manage traffic through a joint venture; this week he said no single country would control the strait but that the U.S. would "watch over" it. On the nuclear program, he had said he would accept only a permanent suspension, but more recently told reporters a 20-year halt would be "enough." In his Friday post, he repeated that Iran must never develop nuclear weapons and must reopen Hormuz without tolls, but did not say whether Iran had agreed.

Iran's position is harder to read. State media said Friday that the memorandum was not finalized and had changed in recent days. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran had "no trust in guarantees or words" and that "no action will be taken before the other side acts."

The pressure on Washington is plain. The war, which Trump has called an "excursion," has run well past its initial projected timeline of four to six weeks. Polls show Americans disapprove of the conflict, and soaring gasoline prices are feeding worries about the economy. Trump has said publicly that he does not care about the political strain, and insists he will not be rushed into a bad deal. Markets have swung with the rhetoric, though hopes for an extension helped push stocks toward a historic streak of weekly gains.

The strait itself remains a live issue. Qatar said a temporary fee for services such as mine clearing might be negotiable, but opposed a permanent transit toll, which the U.S., Europe and other Gulf nations also reject. The Treasury Department affirmed that U.S. persons may not strike deals with Iran for safe passage, even ones involving no toll, without risking sanctions. Shipowners are growing more optimistic about traffic after more vessels left the waterway this week, with the U.S. sharing information to help them. Omani authorities, meanwhile, urged caution after a floating object suspected to be a naval mine was sighted west of the Inshore Traffic Zone, within Omani waters.

Whether the 60-day extension takes effect now rests on one decision, Trump's, and on whether Iran accepts a document its own media says is still changing.