President Trump appeared to downplay military action Wednesday after Iran targeted Middle Eastern partners, suggesting Iran was reciprocating for earlier strikes.
Iran and the U.S. carried out strikes amidst efforts to reach a negotiated deal. Iran targeted Kuwait and Bahrain, appearing to challenge the ongoing ceasefire.
But President Trump did not indicate the ceasefire was broken.
"I'd say in that part of the world ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner," he said.
Drones hit the Kuwait International Airport, killing at least one person and injuring dozens of civilians Wednesday, according to Kuwait's government, as it dealt with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. The U.S. military says Iranian drones attempting to hit US forces in Kuwait failed.
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday it disabled another oil tanker and carried out self-defense strikes on an Iranian military target on an island near the Strait of Hormuz in response to attempted Iranian attacks in the region.
"Some people would say they were slightly provoked, because we took a strong action for a different reason," President Trump said. "So they were reciprocating it."
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio Wednesday still touted military victory to lawmakers.
"We're no longer conducting sustained strikes inside of Iran to degrade their military because epic fury is over," he said.
The tension comes during ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement that would open the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. looking to address Iran's enrichment capability and highly enriched uranium.
"I think now in some of the papers that have been exchanged back and forth, it's clearly addressed, but we still don't have final signoff from their system as of this morning," Rubio said.
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Still, President Trump once again suggested a deal could be near.
"If it happens, and it might not happen, you know, who knows, but if it happens, it could happen like over the weekend," he said.
Meanwhile, Washington hosted another round of talks between Israel and Lebanon amidst fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel's threats to continue to target sites in Beirut appeared to threaten negotiating progress with Iran earlier this week before President Trump spoke with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A U.S. official tells Scripps News the talks "made significant progress on a plan of action."
