Jordan intercepted missiles launched from Iran early on Wednesday, hours after the US military said it knocked down another Iranian barrage launched against American forces in the Middle East, ending a brief pause in fighting between Tehran and Washington.

The US also said it worked with Saudi Arabia to fire on Iran-backed militias in Iraq that have targeted the kingdom in recent days. The militias said at least 20 of their fighters had been killed. The fighting came after days in which mediators said some progress had been made in negotiations to end the war.