IRAN WAR: Pakistan says U.S.-Iran talks ongoing as attacks continue

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Mediating country Pakistan insists that discussions between the United States and Israel were ongoing, despite the U.S. carrying out a “heavy wave of strikes” on Iran late Wednesday and into early Thursday.

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The American attacks were in retaliation for Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan.

Saudi Arabia joined the U.S. in attacking militant groups in Iraq in the last two days, while Egypt has come under fire with a drone attack at a Mediterranean port.

Egypt said a fire that broke out on two ships at the country’s port of Damietta on Wednesday was caused by a drone. No party has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Tahir Andrabi, Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson, said: “Negotiations between parties are ongoing, particularly on (the) Strait of Hormuz and to de-escalate.”

Here’s the latest on the Iran war on Thursday:

Iran says Hormuz to stay closed

Iran’s military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Thursday the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed as long as American “threats” and “interference” with shipping in the area continues. The statement comes hours after the U.S. military said it had hit dozens of Iranian targets.

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“The Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened as long as the excessive rhetoric, threats by American officials, and their interference with maritime movements in the region continue,” the IRGC said on Telegram, per CNN.

“The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and the courageous sailors of the IRGC Navy firmly control it. No outsider who has come from thousands of kilometres away will be permitted to interfere,” the IRGC said, adding that “the aggressor will be punished today.”

“Countries that are assisting the aggressor, if they do not change their behaviour, will receive a harsh response.”

Egypt says port fire caused by drone

Egyptian cabinet said a fire that broke out on two ships at the country’s port of Damietta on Wednesday was caused by a drone.

No party has claimed responsibility for the fire, which happened during cargo operations at a liquefied natural gas terminal, CNN reported.

There were no reported injuries or deaths.

Marisks, a maritime risk-management company, said the affected vessels were moved outside the port, with operations continuing at “full efficiency” on Thursday.

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If confirmed as a deliberate attack, Marisks said it would represent a significant expansion of regional hostilities into Mediterranean energy infrastructure.

This is the first time Egypt has been struck in the widening war in the Middle East.

Jordan says it intercepted 5 Iranian missiles

Jordanian military said it shot down five missiles from Iran on Thursday morning, hours after American military launched a “heavy wave of strikes against Iran,” CBS News reported.

The American attack was in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan.

There were no reported deaths from the interception of missiles, state-run Petra news agency reported.

U.S. launches overnight attacks on Iran

The U.S. military has attacked locations around Iran’s Qeshm Island and the city of Abadan, Iranian media reported.

“A point near Qeshm was attacked by the American enemy military,” said Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor of the southern Hormozgan province, as reported by Iranian news agency Mehr, per CBS News.

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Fars news agency, citing the deputy governor of Khuzestan, said, “Points around Abadan city were attacked by missiles.”

U.S. Central Command confirmed the attacks, stating its assets “struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defence sites, and maritime capabilities.”

Pakistan insists U.S-Iran negotiations ongoing

Pakistan, one of the countries involved in the mediation of peace talks between the United States and Israel, insists that talks were ongoing, despite the U.S. carrying out a “heavy wave of strikes” in retaliation for fresh attacks targeting Jordan.

Saudi Arabia joined the U.S. in attacking militant groups in Iraq in the last two days, while Egypt has come under fire with a drone attack at a Mediterranean port.

Tahir Andrabi, Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters in Islamabad: “Negotiations between parties are ongoing, particularly on (the) Strait of Hormuz and to de-escalate.”

Andrabi said Pakistan was doing its “utmost to bring all parties back” to technical talks under the agreement, AFP reported.

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