KUWAIT CITY, June 4 — Iran’s foreign minister said yesterday that there has been “no tangible progress” in negotiations aimed at ending the Middle East war, as renewed US and Iranian strikes further strained an already fragile ceasefire.
KUWAIT CITY, June 4 — Iran’s foreign minister said yesterday that there has been “no tangible progress” in negotiations aimed at ending the Middle East war, as renewed US and Iranian strikes further strained an already fragile ceasefire.
Kuwaiti officials said the latest hostilities included an Iranian drone strike on a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport, which killed one person and injured 63 others.
In contrast to Tehran’s cautious tone, US President Donald Trump struck an optimistic note, telling reporters at the White House that “it could happen… over the weekend.”
“I hear the negotiation itself is going very well actually,” Trump said, referring to efforts to end the US-Israeli conflict in the Middle East that began on February 28.
However, US lawmakers delivered a political setback to the Republican president on Wednesday when the House of Representatives passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of American troops from the Iran conflict.
The measure, supported by four Republicans alongside Democrats, is largely symbolic as it can still be vetoed by the president even if approved by the Senate.
“This is a loud and unambiguous message to Donald Trump on behalf of the American people: it’s time to end his deeply unpopular and illegal war of choice in Iran,” Democrats wrote on X.
At a congressional hearing, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles were central to ongoing talks with Tehran.
Washington has insisted that Iran must surrender near-weapons-grade uranium, curb its nuclear programme, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route for Gulf oil and gas — for any peace agreement to hold.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said communication channels with the United States remained open but warned that any Israeli strike on Beirut as part of operations against Hezbollah would trigger a “full-scale resumption” of war.
“Communications with the Americans have not been cut off, and messages have been exchanged regarding the need to stop aggression against Beirut, but no tangible progress has been made in the negotiation process,” Tasnim news agency quoted him as telling Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV.
“Any attack on Beirut will have grave consequences and will lead to a full-scale resumption of the war,” he added, saying Iranian forces were ready to respond if Israel attacked the Lebanese capital.
Kuwait’s military condemned the airport drone strike as “criminal Iranian aggression,” while India’s foreign ministry confirmed the single fatality was an Indian national.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied responsibility, saying the explosion was caused by “an error in the American Patriot systems” after failing to intercept Iranian missiles.
They also accused US forces of provoking escalation by striking a tanker and a communications tower on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
The renewed attacks mark one of the most serious tests yet of the April 8 ceasefire that paused over a month of war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and which has largely held despite sporadic clashes.
Trump downplayed the violence, saying that in the region, “a ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of “playing with fire,” warning that further escalation could trigger renewed large-scale military action.
Kuwait temporarily suspended air traffic and diverted incoming flights after the airport attack, before later resuming operations.
The airport has been targeted multiple times during the conflict and only fully reopened earlier this week.
Hassan Sheikh, a 40-year-old Pakistani resident living near the airport, said he heard explosions throughout the night, adding that it was the first time his children had experienced such fear.
Meanwhile in Washington, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire following two days of direct talks, requiring a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah.
The agreement also calls, under US guidance, for the establishment of “pilot zones” where Lebanese armed forces will assume exclusive control, excluding non-state actors, according to a joint statement.
Further negotiations are scheduled for the week of June 22, aiming toward a broader agreement.
However, Israel and Hezbollah have continued exchanging fire, with Hezbollah reporting missile strikes on northern Israel and Lebanon saying Israeli attacks in the south killed at least nine people, including two paramedics.
Israeli forces are also conducting their deepest ground operations in Lebanon in two decades.
A ceasefire intended to halt the fighting in Lebanon on April 17 has yet to be fully observed. — AFP
PARIS, June 7 — US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned yesterday that Europe was facing what he described as an “invasion” of dangerous ideologies arriving by sea, drawing a link between immigration and the legacy of the D-Day landings during remarks in Normandy.
PUTRAJAYA, June 7 — The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) has begun monitoring operations following reports of a mysterious bright light spotted in Sabah’s airspace earlier this week.
IPOH, June 7 — Hiker Jaslinda Saludin, 49, who was found safe after going missing for 14 days during a trek at Gunung Batu Putih near Tapah, recounted how she survived in the forest without carrying any food or water.