The Iranian regime launched a new wave of missile attacks against countries in the Persian Gulf that host 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 aboard commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
The new offensive came after Washington confirmed it had reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports and coasts, and after two commercial vessels were diverted that, according to the Pentagon, attempted to evade U.S.-imposed restrictions.
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 return to the negotiating table. “Next week the situation will be very bad for them,” he said.
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Pakistan urged Iran and the U.S. to resume peace talks to halt the war in the Middle East
Pakistan announced on Thursday that it will encourage the United States and Iran to cease hostilities and resume dialogue under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) it helped mediate last month.
“Although 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,” said Tahir Andrabi, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a press briefing in Islamabad.
“We expressed our hope that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will normalize soon and we 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 an escalation of 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 conflict began, 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 regional infrastructure of countries allied with the United States if Washington follows through on threats to attack Iranian facilities.
The spokesman for Iran’s military headquarters said that if those warnings were carried out, “the entire infrastructure of the region would be crushed under the steel blows of the Iranian armed forces.”
Israel told the Pentagon it will keep troops in “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, informed his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that the Israeli military will maintain its forces in the “security zones” established in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
According to a statement released on Thursday, the two officials spoke overnight and Katz “emphasized 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 observed in Chabahar, Iran, after reports of an explosion
Jordan intercepted eight Iranian missiles overnight
Jordan’s air defense systems intercepted and destroyed eight Iranian missiles aimed at the country in the early hours of Thursday, the Jordanian military said. No casualties or material damage were reported. Engineering teams secured the areas where debris fell, and the armed forces remain on high alert for potential new threats.
Meanwhile, the Iranian military said its drones attacked communications systems, fuel depots and a fixed radar station at Al Azraq air base in Jordan, identified as a U.S. military base. The statement, carried by state media in Iran, said the offensive was 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 barracks in Sistan and Baluchestan province that Tehran says killed seven service members.
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Iraq’s prime minister condemned Thursday’s “drone attack” over Erbil
Iraq’s prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, condemned a “drone attack” that violated Erbil’s airspace in the Kurdistan region after several devices 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 the recurrence of such attacks and to protect the safety of Iraqi society.
Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, Iran’s capital
State media in Iran reported that air defense alerts were activated Thursday morning in several parts of Tehran and that explosions were heard in the north and west of the country.
The state news agency IRNA said that, so far, no casualties have been reported in Tehran. Additional explosions were heard in the western province of Lorestan and in Semnan in the north, according to IRNA and the Mehr agency.