Intensified Strikes Hit Iran Infrastructure Amid Back-Channel Diplomacy via Pakistan

Military tensions between the U.S.-led coalition and Iran escalated sharply over the last 24 hours. Israeli forces launched more than 3,000 strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) missile systems and command hubs. Simultaneously, reports emerged of a U.S. strike targeting a gas pipeline in a strategic nuclear town near Natanz. These kinetic actions come despite public narratives of a strike pause, with Iranian officials claiming the bombings flatly contradict any cessation of hostilities. On the diplomatic front, the Trump administration is reportedly utilizing Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to facilitate a 15-point plan through Pakistani intermediaries. While foreign ministers from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan met in Riyadh to discuss mediation, Tehran has demanded the closure of U.S. bases and guarantees against future strikes as a prerequisite for formal agreements. Internally, Iran has reshuffled its leadership, appointing Mohammed Barger Zalgada as the new security chief following the death of Ali Larajani in recent strikes. The regional landscape is shifting rapidly as Lebanon took the unprecedented step of recalling its ambassador from Tehran and expelling Iranian representatives. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled a strategic pivot toward Iran, warning that further escalation could lead to a global energy crisis, high inflation, and a worldwide recession if the Strait of Hormuz is obstructed. The hit on gas infrastructure near Natanz has already introduced fresh volatility into global energy markets.