According to The Express Tribune, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday it had targeted four oil-carrying ships in the Gulf that it said were transferring cargo from one vessel to another. The IRGC Navy said "fires were still burning on the targeted ships."
'Unauthorised routes'
The statement said the four vessels were tracked in the northern Persian Gulf and hit simultaneously for sailing along "unauthorised routes." The IRGC added that three more vessels collided with mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, and accused the US of encouraging ships to cross a mined passage, leading to more maritime incidents.
Warning to US bases
The IRGC warned that if Washington continued this approach, Iran's response would extend to American bases in the region.
Trump: 'We're not negotiating'
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that Washington is not negotiating with Iran and that "something one way or the other" will happen "fairly soon." At a rally in South Carolina he said the US could end the war now but wants the outcome to last.
The paper also cited a New York Times report that US and Israeli militaries have drawn up plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections, though it is far from certain Trump will approve them. The White House declined to comment on such plans.
Why it matters for Pakistan
The escalation matters directly for Pakistan, whose oil and LNG supplies depend on Gulf shipping, and which the paper says is continuing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Iran's claims about the ship strikes have not been independently verified.