The U.S. launched a new wave of strikes inside Iran after President Donald Trump promised to hit the country “very hard.”
The U.S. military says it hit dozens of targets inside Iran overnight, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal defense sites and other strategic locations.
Hours earlier, Trump told reporters the U.S. would “be hitting them very hard” in response to new attacks by Iran, targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East.
It was the second night of strikes, following U.S.-Saudi strikes overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, which left 20 people dead. U.S. Central Command said it was targeting Iranian proxies in Iraq.
Strikes across the Middle East
As the strikes continued, the fallout reached other countries across the region.
Egyptian officials say a drone sparked a fire at a port on the Mediterranean coast, though they have not said who was responsible.
In Jordan, the military said it intercepted five missiles fired from Iran, just as it had overnight into Wednesday.
And in Kuwait, officials said an Iranian strike hit a building used by a Chinese company, killing one worker.
Where do negotiations stand?
Meanwhile, after days of disputing claims from the U.S. and Iran on negotiations, Pakistan says U.S.-Iran talks are “ongoing” on de-escalation and the Strait of Hormuz.
“Negotiations between parties are ongoing, particularly on (the) Strait of Hormuz and to de-escalate,” Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters, according to CBS News.
Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing conflict with Iran have kept oil prices higher this summer, but they were down nearly 1% as of early Thursday morning.
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