AN IRANIAN official began meetings today with mediators in Pakistan as diplomats sought to salvage the collapsed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States.

Both countries have continued to launch attacks against each other after the US broke the deal reached with Iran.

Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni’s visit comes as Pakistan has intensified diplomatic efforts in recent days to resuscitate the deal.

Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early today, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, while the US conducted yet another round of air strikes targeting the Islamic Republic. Tehran also hit US assets throughout the Middle East.

Jordan military’s said today that Iran targeted it with five drones and three missiles, all of which were shot down. Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens this afternoon as another Iranian barrage targeted the island kingdom, which is home to the US navy’s 5th Fleet.

The US military’s Central Command said today that it targeted “Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air defence systems.”

But there is increasing evidence that recent US air strikes have targeted civilian infrastructure in Iran.

The MoU signed last month that was meant to end the fighting has crumbled.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled. And as fighting intensifies, both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.

“Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or at locations associated with the US and Americans throughout the world,” the US State Department said in a new warning to Americans.

The escalation has pushed oil prices higher in recent weeks. Benchmark Brent crude traded at nearly $90 (£66) a barrel today and regular petrol in the US climbed to an average of $4 (around £3) a gallon, keeping pressure on Americans’ wallets ahead of midterm elections this autumn.

President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday to warn that “Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!”

Mr Momeni met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

FM Munir, who serves as both the chief of army staff and defence forces, played a key role in brokering last month’s MoU between the US and Iran.