US military conducts another strike against Iran after Trump says Iran is ‘negotiating on fumes’

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces carried out new defensive strikes on Wednesday on an Iran military facility after downing Iranian attack drones, according to U.S. officials.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said U.S. Central Command forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. forces also struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone, according to the officials.

The strikes came after President Donald Trump asserted Wednesday that Iran is “negotiating on fumes” and insisted that November’s midterm elections won’t make him rush into a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict that’s spurred unease across the global economy.

Speaking at the start of a Cabinet meeting, Trump expressed confidence that a deal is near. Over the weekend, he even declared that his administration and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a settlement, though the talks are still in flux.

The president is looking for a settlement that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him with a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory...