A ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner
In the early hours of Wednesday, Iran struck Kuwait International Airport with missiles and drones, killing one and wounding dozens, even as American and Iranian diplomats exchanged papers toward a peace agreement neither side has yet signed. The attack exposed the hollow architecture of a ceasefire that, by one leader's own definition, permits shooting 'in a more moderate manner.' Across the region, from the Lebanese hills to the halls of Congress, the ancient tension between negotiation and force played out simultaneously — a reminder that the distance between a framework and a peace is measured not in words, but in the willingness to stop.
- Iran launched 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones at Kuwait International Airport, killing one Indian national and wounding 63 others, even as U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks remained technically alive.
- Kuwait expelled two Iranian diplomats within 24 hours and summoned Tehran's envoy, while the UAE called on Gulf states to stand together against what it called Iranian aggression.
- Israel and Lebanon agreed to renew their ceasefire and establish Hezbollah-free security zones south of the Litani River, but Israeli drone strikes killed a Lebanese soldier the same day the framework was announced.
- In Washington, Secretary of State Rubio told Congress that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles remain the central obstacle to a deal, while the House passed a war powers resolution 215-208 to force Trump to end the conflict without further authorization.
- Oil prices crept back toward $100 per barrel, and the OECD warned that prolonged energy disruption could slow global growth to 1.8% by 2027, with American gas prices still nearly a third higher than before the war began.
Early Wednesday, Iranian missiles and drones struck Kuwait International Airport, killing one Indian national and wounding 63 others. Kuwaiti defenses intercepted at least 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones, but falling debris tore through Terminal 1, forcing a suspension of all flights before a gradual reopening later in the day.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard called the strike retaliation for U.S. attacks on Iranian military infrastructure the night before — strikes that American Central Command had itself described as self-defense. President Trump, asked whether the ceasefire still held, offered a telling redefinition: a ceasefire, he said, is "when you're shooting in a more moderate manner." Kuwait responded by expelling two Iranian diplomats and summoning Tehran's envoy, while the UAE urged unified Gulf resistance to Iranian aggression.
In parallel, Israel and Lebanon announced a renewed ceasefire framework, agreeing to establish pilot security zones inside southern Lebanon from which Hezbollah would be banned. The deal emerged from a fourth round of U.S.-mediated talks in Washington and required the Lebanese army to take full control of areas south of the Litani River. Yet even as negotiators signed off, Israeli drone strikes near Nabatieh killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded another. Iran's foreign minister warned that any Israeli attack on Beirut would trigger full-scale resumption of the conflict, while Tehran's chief negotiator declared the era of cost-free Iranian threats was over.
In Washington, Secretary of State Rubio told Congress that Iran's near-weapons-grade uranium stockpiles remained the central sticking point, with no final agreement signed despite papers being exchanged. Trump confirmed he had called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu "fucking crazy" over concerns that the Lebanon fight was slowing Iran talks, though Netanyahu characterized it as routine allied friction. The House passed a war powers resolution 215 to 208 to force Trump to end the conflict without congressional authorization — the first time the chamber had defied the White House on the war.
The economic toll continued to mount. Oil prices approached $100 per barrel following the Kuwait attack, and the OECD warned that prolonged disruption to Middle Eastern energy supplies could slow global growth from 3.4% to 1.8% by 2027. American gas prices averaged $4.29 per gallon — far above the $2.98 recorded before the war began — with analysts predicting no return to pre-war levels until mid-to-late 2027. As the day closed, the fragile structures of negotiation and the persistent rhythm of strike and counterstrike remained locked in uneasy, unresolved tension.
Early Wednesday morning, Iranian missiles and drones struck Kuwait International Airport. The attack killed one person—an Indian national—and wounded 63 others, including seven who required emergency surgery. Kuwaiti defense officials said they intercepted at least 13 ballistic missiles and 17 attack drones, but debris from the interceptions rained down on the airport's Terminal 1, causing severe damage to civilian and vital facilities. The airport suspended all flights, then gradually reopened terminals later in the day as damage assessments were completed.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed the strike was retaliation for U.S. military action the night before. American Central Command had described its own strikes—on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island and multiple other targets—as "self-defense" responses to Iranian missiles and drones fired at Kuwait and Bahrain. The cycle of claim and counterclaim reflected a ceasefire that exists mostly in name. President Trump, when asked if the ceasefire still held, offered a cryptic answer: "There's a reason for everything." He then redefined what a ceasefire means in the Middle East context: "a ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner."
Kuwait's government responded swiftly. The Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's top envoy and expelled two lower-ranking Iranian diplomats, declaring them persona non grata with 24 hours to leave. Officials told the Iranian representative that his country's allegations of U.S. bases in Kuwait were baseless and could not justify attacks on Kuwaiti territory. The deputy foreign minister emphasized Kuwait's rejection of any use of its airspace for hostile actions against any nation. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates called for unified Gulf resistance to what it termed "Iranian aggression," warning that the security of all Arab Gulf states was interconnected.
Parallel to the escalation in the Gulf, Israel and Lebanon announced they had renewed their fragile ceasefire and agreed to establish "pilot" security zones inside Lebanon where Hezbollah would be banned. The agreement came after a fourth round of U.S.-mediated talks at the State Department in Washington. Both sides said the ceasefire was contingent on a complete halt to Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from areas south of the Litani River. The Lebanese army would take full control of those zones. Yet even as negotiators signed off on this framework, the fighting continued. Lebanon's army reported that Israeli forces had killed one soldier and wounded another in drone strikes near Nabatieh. The army accused Israel of deliberately targeting military personnel as part of operations aimed at displacing civilians from their villages.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, warned that any Israeli attack on Beirut would trigger a "full-scale resumption" of the conflict. He told Lebanese media that while lines of communication with the United States remained open, "no tangible progress" had been made in negotiations to end the broader Middle East war. He characterized Iran's latest strikes as "self-defense" against sites the U.S. was using to attack civilian shipping and violate the ceasefire. Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, vowed a "decisive" response to any further aggression, declaring that the era of "free-of-charge Iran threats" was over.
In Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that enriched uranium remained the central sticking point in talks with Iran. Washington demanded that Tehran surrender its near-weapons-grade uranium stockpiles, curb its nuclear activities, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio said Iran had not yet signed off on a final agreement, though papers had been exchanged. He also doubled down on claims of American victory, saying the U.S. had destroyed Iran's defense industrial base, significantly reduced its missile launchers and drone stockpiles, and eliminated its remaining air force and conventional navy. The campaign, called "Epic Fury," was over, he insisted—even as Iran attacked Kuwait.
President Trump, meanwhile, offered mixed signals. He confirmed he had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "fucking crazy" during a Monday phone call, saying he was "a little bit perturbed" that Israel's fight with Hezbollah in Lebanon was holding back peace talks with Iran. Netanyahu dismissed the outburst as typical "tactical disagreements" between allies and said Trump respected him and he respected Trump. Trump also told the New York Post that Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was involved in peace talks and that he hoped one day to meet him, though he acknowledged Khamenei had been injured in an airstrike. "We seem to be getting along quite well," Trump said, adding that he had not yet decided whether to sign a deal or pursue "the other way," which he described as less pleasant but faster.
The economic stakes were mounting. Oil prices crept back toward $100 per barrel following the Kuwait attack. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned that a prolonged disruption of Middle East energy supplies would deal a severe blow to the global economy, potentially pushing some countries into recession and spreading inflation and unemployment. In a scenario of prolonged disruption, global growth would slow from 3.4% last year to 1.8% by 2027. Asian economies dependent on Persian Gulf crude and natural gas would be hardest hit, as would poorer nations where people spend more of their incomes on fuel and food. Energy experts told CBS News that even if a peace deal were struck and the Strait of Hormuz reopened, gas prices would likely remain elevated for months or years. A gallon of regular gas averaged $4.29 across the U.S. on Tuesday, down from more than $5 at the peak but still far above the $2.98 average before the war began in late February. De Haan, a petroleum analyst, predicted prices would not return to pre-war levels until mid-to-late 2027.
Back on Capitol Hill, the House passed a war powers resolution that would force Trump to end the war with Iran without congressional authorization—the first time the lower chamber had defied the White House on the conflict. The vote was 215 to 208, with four Republicans joining all Democrats. Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump, saying the president was "laser focused" on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and that the entire world had an interest in restoring commerce through that vital waterway. The Senate had passed a similar measure in May. As the day wore on, it remained unclear whether the fragile structures being built—the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, the stalled Iran talks, the diplomatic protests—would hold or whether the cycle of strike and counterstrike would continue to tighten.
Citações Notáveis
No tangible progress has been made in the negotiation process, but any attack on Beirut will have grave consequences and lead to a full-scale resumption of the war.— Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Sometimes, as in the best of families, we have these tactical disagreements. We always find a way to work them out.— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on his relationship with Trump
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Trump keep redefining what a ceasefire is? It sounds like he's admitting it's not really a ceasefire at all.
He's being honest in a strange way. A true ceasefire means no shooting. But in this region, with these actors, the violence never fully stops—it just pulses. Trump seems to be saying: this is the best we're going to get, so let's call it a ceasefire and move on.
But people died. Sixty-three wounded. That's not a moderate level of shooting—that's an attack.
You're right. The attack on Kuwait was significant. But from Iran's perspective, it was proportional retaliation for U.S. strikes the night before. From the U.S. perspective, those were self-defense. Everyone's calling their own strikes defensive and the other side's strikes aggressive. The ceasefire exists in that contradiction.
What about the Israel-Lebanon agreement? Is that real?
It's real as a piece of paper. Israel and Lebanon agreed to security zones where Hezbollah can't operate. But Hezbollah wasn't at the table, and both sides are already accusing each other of violating the ceasefire daily. Israeli forces are still pushing into southern Lebanon, displacing tens of thousands of civilians. So the agreement is real, but the conditions on the ground are moving faster than the diplomacy.
Why is enriched uranium the sticking point with Iran?
Because it's the thing that matters most to Washington. Iran can agree to almost anything else, but if it keeps its near-weapons-grade uranium, it's one step away from a bomb. The U.S. won't sign off without that. Iran sees it as a matter of sovereignty and deterrence.
And the Strait of Hormuz—why is that so important?
Twenty percent of the world's oil passes through it. If it stays closed, energy prices stay high, the global economy slows, and countries slip into recession. That's why Trump keeps saying reopening it is his priority. It's not just about winning the war; it's about preventing an economic catastrophe.
Do you think they'll actually reach a deal?
Trump seems to think so, but he's also hedged his bets. He said he hasn't decided whether to sign a deal or do "the other way," which he admits isn't nice. That suggests he's still preparing for the possibility that talks collapse and the fighting resumes.