The US said it shot down a pair of Iranian drones threatening the Strait of Hormuz, the latest instance of violence as the war reached its 100th day yesterday with no end in sight.
It came as mediator Pakistan delivered a message to Iran’s supreme leader, following weeks of indirect talks marked by tit-for-tat threats and sporadic exchanges of fire.
Efforts to turn a ceasefire into a lasting settlement have repeatedly stalled, while the war has rattled global markets and increased pressure on US President Donald Trump at home ahead of midterm elections.
Photo: AP
However, there were signs of fresh diplomatic efforts over the weekend with Pakistani Minister of the Interior Mohsin Naqvi visiting Tehran.
Naqvi said upon his arrival on Saturday that he would deliver a “special letter” from Pakistani Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and a message from the Pakistani prime minister “regarding the current situation,” Iranian state television said.
Munir has played a key role in mediating talks between Iran and the US, following a single round of direct negotiations in Islamabad.
“I think it’s a very important message,” said Naqvi, a frequent visitor to Iran.
His trip came as US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it destroyed two Iranian drones “that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” hours after announcing it struck four other drones and coastal surveillance radar sites.
Tehran on Saturday fired a salvo of missiles at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait, drawing a furious response from the Gulf monarchies and piling pressure on the shaky ceasefire agreed on April 8.
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