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The United States and Iran exchanged fresh military strikes on Thursday, escalating tensions in the Middle East despite renewed calls for both sides to resume negotiations.
The latest fighting comes a month after a preliminary agreement, brokered by Pakistan, sought to halt the conflict that began in late February following large-scale US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Iran claimed its Revolutionary Guards launched ballistic missiles at a US air base in Jordan in retaliation for an American strike near a children’s cancer hospital in Ahvaz. Iranian state media reported that the hospital was evacuated after nearby airstrikes, while the country’s foreign ministry condemned the attack.
The US Central Command said its forces targeted Iranian military positions, including facilities in Bandar Abbas and Greater Tunb Island, to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian media also reported explosions in several parts of the country, including Semnan, Lorestan and Tehran, while Gulf countries including Kuwait and Bahrain activated air defence measures after reporting Iranian drone attacks.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil and gas shipping route, remains at the centre of the conflict. Iran has maintained restrictions on the waterway, while the United States has also reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
Pakistan urged both countries to end hostilities and return to technical-level talks under last month’s memorandum of understanding. However, Iran warned it would no longer honour the agreement if it failed to deliver meaningful benefits.
US President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iranian infrastructure unless Tehran returned to negotiations, while Iran’s military warned it would target infrastructure across the region if such strikes were carried out.
Iran also said it launched drone and missile attacks on US military facilities in Jordan, while the US military reported disabling an unmanned oil tanker attempting to breach the naval blockade around Iranian ports.
In Iraq, Kurdish authorities said the US-led coalition intercepted eight explosive drones over Erbil, where explosions were heard near the US consulate.
Meanwhile, Trump confirmed that an American citizen detained in Iran since December 2024 had been released, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill by Tehran.
Iranian officials said renewed US strikes since last week had killed at least 30 people, while the country’s military also reported casualties among its personnel in attacks on the southeast.
