Cairo — The Pakistani Interior Minister visited Tehran on Sunday in a new attempt to resume negotiations between Iran and the United States, as the US military said it shot down two more Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz, threatening international maritime traffic.
The latest action came as the US administration He puts pressure on Iran to Make a deal To end the war in the Middle East that has exhausted the global economy Threatened by a hunger crisis In some of the most vulnerable countries in the world.
The heaviest fighting ended with an initial ceasefire on April 8, but the two sides were unable to agree on a long-term end to the war.
Meanwhile, fighting has continued between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, despite last week’s announcement of an extension of the US-brokered ceasefire.
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran to deliver a message to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei from Pakistani Army Commander Field Marshal Asim Munir, IRNA reported.
Khamenei has not appeared in public since his appointment as ruler of the Islamic Republic after his father was killed on the first day of the war on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran.
Naqvi met with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni late Saturday, and held talks Sunday morning with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, according to official Iranian media.
No details were provided about the content of the message. Pakistani authorities said that Islamabad, with the support of countries in the region including Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, is working to help bridge differences between the United States and Iran and encourage efforts to reduce tensions and ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, a new ceasefire was announced in Lebanon American-brokered talks It seems that the talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington last week did not hold up.
Supported by Iran Hezbollah He rejected the US-brokered agreement and instead supported Iran’s demand that ending the war in Lebanon be part of negotiations with the United States.
Israel bombed what it said were more than 150 Hezbollah military sites over the weekend, including missile launch pads and command centers, across southern Lebanon.
Early Sunday, Israel identified at least five shells fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel, which were either intercepted or landed in open areas. Hezbollah did not immediately announce that it had fired projectiles at Israel. However, the armed group admitted that it attacked Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the Israeli military said.
Fighting in Lebanon where Israeli forces took control Large areas of the south In its latest ground invasion, it threatens efforts to end the conflict Iran war And reopen Strait of HormuzIt is a major transit point for oil and gas. It might close It shook the global economy.
Iran demanded that any permanent truce extend to Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuHe, facing elections later this year, wants to press ahead with the Israeli offensive until he deems Hezbollah no longer a threat.
The Lebanese Army Commander, General Rudolf Haykal, headed to Pakistan on Saturday at the invitation of the Pakistani Army Commander. The Lebanese army did not provide further details and did not mention whether the matter was related to Pakistani mediation between Iran and the United States
The US military said on Saturday that it shot down several Iranian missiles and drones launched at it Strait of Hormuz and its Arab allies in the Gulf, and bombed some of the Islamic Republic’s coastal surveillance radar sites in response.
The US Central Command said, “The attack drones posed a direct threat to regional maritime traffic.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said it targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base, which hosts US forces in Kuwait, and the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
The US military said there were no reports of damage to American personnel.
Earlier this month, Iranian drones attacked heavily The passenger station was damaged At the main airport in Kuwait, killing one person and wounding dozens.
The US military continued its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s grip on the Strait, a vital corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments.
Energy prices rose, Raising political problems For the Republican Party, to which US President Donald Trump belongs, before the midterm congressional elections next November.
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Chehayeb reported from Beirut and Liedman from Tel Aviv, Israel.