Iran’s regime launched a new wave of missile attacks against Persian Gulf countries hosting U.S. military facilities. Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq reported intercepting several projectiles and condemned the Iranian strikes in the early hours of Thursday.
Late Wednesday, the United States carried out another round of strikes on Iranian territory aimed at reducing Tehran’s ability to “threaten innocent mariners operating commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
The new offensive followed Washington’s confirmation of the reinstatement of a naval blockade on Iranian ports and coasts, as well as the diversion of two commercial ships that, according to the Pentagon, attempted to evade the restrictions imposed by the United States.
President Donald Trump hardened his stance toward Tehran and warned that the military campaign in the Middle East could expand in the coming days if the Iranian regime does not agree to return to the negotiating table. “Next week the situation will be very bad for them,” he said.
Below, minute-by-minute coverage:
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Pakistan urged Iran and the U.S. to resume peace talks to halt the war in the Middle East
Pakistan said on Thursday that it will encourage the United States and Iran to halt the violence and resume dialogue under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) it helped mediate last month.
“While the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding faces challenges, Pakistan will continue to encourage all parties to end the violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding,” Tahir Andrabi, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters in Islamabad.
“We expressed our hope that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will normalize soon and emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and freedom of maritime navigation,” he added.
Oil prices fall
Oil prices fell in the early hours of Thursday, though they remain elevated amid intensified U.S. strikes against Iran and Iranian missile and drone attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.5% to $84.57 a barrel. In late February, before the outbreak of the conflict, it traded near $72 a barrel. The U.S. benchmark fell 0.2% to $79.43 a barrel.
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Tehran threatened regional infrastructure if the United States attacks Iran
Tehran warned on Thursday that it would strike the regional infrastructure of U.S.-allied countries if Washington carries out its threats to attack Iranian facilities.
The spokesman for Iran’s military headquarters said that if those warnings are carried out, “the entire infrastructure of the region would be crushed under the steel blows of the Iranian armed forces.”
Israel informed the Pentagon it will keep troops in “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, told his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that the Israeli military will maintain its forces in “security zones” established within Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip.
According to a statement released on Thursday, the two officials spoke overnight and Katz “stressed Israel’s determination to remain in the security zones in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon to protect its borders and nearby communities from threats posed by jihadist forces.”
Fire and smoke seen in Chabahar, Iran , after reports of an explosion
Jordan intercepted eight Iranian missiles during the night
Jordan’s air defense systems intercepted and destroyed eight Iranian missiles aimed at the country in the early hours of Thursday, the Jordanian army reported. No casualties or material damage were reported. Engineering teams secured the areas where debris fell, and the armed forces remain on high alert for possible new threats.
For its part, the Iranian army said its drones attacked communications systems, fuel depots and a fixed radar station at Al Azraq airbase in Jordan, identified as a U.S. military base. The statement, released by official Iranian media, said the offensive corresponds to the ninth phase of “Operation Saeqeh” (Lightning) and was launched in response to recent U.S. attacks on Iran, including a strike on a military garrison in Sistan and Baluchestan province that Tehran says killed seven soldiers.
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Iraq’s prime minister condemned Thursday’s “drone attack” on Erbil
Iraq’s prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, condemned a “drone attack” that violated Erbil’s airspace in the Kurdistan region after several aircraft were shot down, his office said.
Al-Zaidi said security agencies, in coordination with regional forces, have been instructed to take all necessary measures to prevent such attacks from happening again and to protect the security of Iraqi society.
Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, Iran’s capital
State media in Iran reported that air defense alerts were activated in several areas of Tehran on Thursday morning and that explosions were heard in the north and west of the country.
The state news agency IRNA reported that, so far, no casualties have been recorded in Tehran. Additional explosions were heard in the western province of Lorestan and in Semnan in the north, IRNA and the Mehr agency reported.