Kuwait accuses Iran and proxies of drone attacks despite two-week ceasefire; Guard denies involvement
Kuwait accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks despite a two-week ceasefire, injecting fresh uncertainty into a fragile pause in fighting that has rippled across the Gulf. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied carrying out attacks on Persian Gulf states on Thursday night, even as questions mounted over how the truce would be enforced and whether maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would normalize.
U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the ceasefire, citing Iran’s continued chokehold on the crucial waterway. The initial 14-day truce, agreed Tuesday by Washington and Tehran, has not resolved core disputes.
Questions remained over what will happen to Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, when regular shipping might resume through the strait, and how any agreement would address Iran’s ability to launch future missile attacks and support armed proxies. Diplomatic efforts are set to intensify this weekend.
Talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict are expected to begin Saturday in Islamabad, with the White House saying Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. delegation. Pakistan, initially seen as an unexpected mediator, has emerged this week as a key player, emphasizing its ties with both Washington and Tehran and its stake in seeing the war end.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have highlighted their contacts with international leaders ahead of the meetings. Security in the Pakistani capital has been tightened. Commandos, police and other personnel erected barricades along routes from the airport to central Islamabad, where the delegations are scheduled to stay and negotiate.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reviewed preparations, and authorities said the city’s Red Zone would be sealed on Saturday with access restricted to authorized individuals. The visiting delegations are also expected to meet Prime Minister Sharif. Elsewhere in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had approved direct talks with Lebanon, an overture that could complement ceasefire efforts.
The Lebanese government had not responded as of Friday morning. The announcement followed Israeli strikes on Beirut on Wednesday that killed more than 300 people, and negotiations are expected next week in Washington, according to a person familiar with the matter.
On the northern Israeli front, sirens warning of incoming fire from Hezbollah sounded repeatedly on Friday. The Israeli military said about 30 projectiles were fired toward border communities and cities including Nahariya and Karmiel since morning.
At home, Trump’s push for an off-ramp from the war with Iran has faced turbulence within his Republican Party, testing an “America First” coalition that has largely rejected military intervention over the past decade. His approach—escalatory threats followed by a ceasefire that remains precarious—has not stilled internal dissent.
For Kuwait and its Gulf neighbors, the stakes remain immediate. With enforcement of the truce in question and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz still unsettled, the outcome of the Islamabad talks and parallel regional diplomacy will shape the security and economic picture in the days ahead.