U.S. intercepts Iranian missiles as talks stall

U.S. forces shot down Iranian drones and intercepted ballistic missiles aimed at Gulf allies Friday, the military said, as a fragile ceasefire with Tehran came under new strain and an Iranian official said negotiations with Washington were at a “deadlock.”

U.S. Central Command said Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain late Friday. Six were intercepted and a seventh failed to hit its target, the command said, adding that there were no reports of harm to U.S. personnel. Earlier, U.S. forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz, saying they “posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.”

CENTCOM said U.S. forces then struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island “to defend against further attacks.” The command said American forces “remain vigilant and postured to respond to unjustified Iranian aggression in self-defense.”

Kuwait’s military said it was dealing with “hostile missile and drone attacks.” Bahrain’s interior ministry said warning sirens had sounded and urged residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe place. NPR, citing Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, which hosts U.S. forces, and the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

The exchange followed earlier Iranian claims that its navy had fired warning shots toward two U.S. destroyers in the Sea of Oman in response to what it called U.S. “hostilities” and the “seizure of commercial vessels.” U.S. Central Command denied that its ships were fired on or attacked, saying U.S. forces continue to operate freely in regional waters while enforcing the blockade against Iran.

The Trump administration has been pressing Iran to agree to terms aimed at extending the ceasefire, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and beginning talks over Iran’s nuclear program. President Trump said Friday that “the situation with Iran seems to be going quite well,” and later said the conflict is “largely finished.”

“One way or the other, it’s finished,” Trump said at an event in Wisconsin, adding that it could end “with a piece of paper” or in “a more difficult way.” In an interview with NBC News, he said Iran had not made a deal because “they’re proud” and “it’s a very hard thing for them.”

Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told CNN the talks “are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock.” He said Iran wants the United States to unseal billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets as “a sign of trust-building” and warned that Iran could expand the war if the U.S. blockade is not lifted.

The blockade has redirected 129 commercial vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports, CENTCOM said. Six ships have been disabled to “ensure compliance,” according to the command. U.S. forces also boarded the sanctioned tanker MT Davina in the Indian Ocean, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said.

The conflict has pushed energy costs higher. Trump said “a lot” of oil is moving through the Strait of Hormuz and said prices could fall after the crisis is resolved. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said gas and fertilizer prices should drop once a deal is reached, though CBS News reported that GasBuddy petroleum expert Patrick De Haan said a return to pre-war levels could take until mid- to late-2027.

Fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon is also complicating diplomacy. Lebanon and Israel agreed this week to renew a truce, but Hezbollah rejected it. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 32 people were killed in the past day, raising the death toll since March 2 to 3,558, with 10,870 injured.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the fighting is “not being fought for our sake, but on our land and at the expense of our people,” and accused Iran of treating Lebanon as a bargaining chip. Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, told CNN that “our people” are being killed and “our houses” destroyed, calling the situation “unacceptable.”