WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Central Command accused Iran of an “egregious ceasefire violation” after the country launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that Kuwaiti forces intercepted. Separately, the U.S. said Iranian forces launched attack drones in and around the Strait of Hormuz, which U.S. forces intercepted to maintain the ceasefire.
During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said Iran is trying to stall negotiations. “They thought they were going to outwait me, you know. We'll outwait him. He's got the midterms. I don't care about the midterms,” he said.
Robert Malley, former U.S. special envoy for Iran, criticized Trump’s approach to the negotiations and ceasefire enforcement in new public comments. Malley said negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are not direct and rely on mediators who may send overly optimistic messages to each side. He added that Iran has no trust that any agreement with President Trump would be respected due to past negative experiences.
Malley described President Trump as “erratic” and “whimsical,” saying, “Up is down, down is up,” and that it is unclear whether Trump knows what his negotiators are saying. He stated that all military actions, including the U.S. blockade and Iranian missile launches, could be considered ceasefire violations depending on perspective.
According to Malley, Iran is trying to use time to its advantage by believing the U.S. will suffer more economically and that Trump is more concerned about the midterms than he admits. He said Trump’s repeated claims that he doesn't care about the midterms signal the opposite to Iran—that he actually wants the deal.
Malley described the mixed messages from both sides as a psychological game in which each claims it needs the deal less than the other. He said Trump wants to claim both that he secured a deal and that Iran capitulated, but may not be able to achieve both outcomes.