Iran said Thursday that the fragile Middle East cease-fire had become “practically meaningless” after renewed U.S. strikes and Iranian retaliation, further straining diplomatic efforts to contain the widening conflict, according to state media and official statements.

The war, which began on Feb. 28 with a wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, was paused by the April truce, but efforts to hammer out a permanent end to the fighting have stalled and sporadic exchanges of fire have put the cease-fire under repeated strain.

In their second straight day of tit-for-tat attacks, Washington hit surveillance, communications and air defense facilities, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced a “punitive operation” targeting a U.S. base in Jordan and Gulf states reported incoming fire.

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar suggested backchannel efforts to negotiate an end to the war were ongoing despite the flare-up, though Islamabad cautioned it was “hard to be an optimist” in light of the latest escalation.

The strikes took place while a Qatari delegation was in Tehran for talks, with a diplomatic source saying the discussions lasted into the early hours of the morning and were “conducted in coordination with the United States.”

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly maintained negotiations with Tehran were close to a deal, said Wednesday that Iran keeps “playing us for suckers” and will now “have to pay the price.”

Hours later, CENTCOM said U.S. forces began strikes early Thursday in Iran, later adding it had completed its attacks.

Iranian media reported explosions across the south, with at least three people wounded in Tehran province.

Jordan said it had shot down 20 Iranian missiles, while Kuwait’s military said its air defences had engaged “hostile aerial targets.”

Bahrain, which hosts a U.S. naval base, said an 11-year-old girl suffered minor injuries and homes and cars were damaged by “sinful Iranian aggression.”

The renewed hostilities came as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said that if Trump required it, “we’ll negotiate with bombs.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that “the illegal and criminal attacks perpetrated by the United States in recent hours not only constitute a flagrant violation … but also render the cease-fire practically meaningless.”

But a Foreign Ministry spokesperson for mediator Pakistan, which hosted an initial round of talks between the warring parties, said it had not “lost hope” in a negotiated resolution.

Still, said Tahir Andrabi, “It is hard to be an optimist in the new exchange of hostilities.”