Pakistan closes border with Iran amid escalation with Israel

Pakistan has closed all its border crossings with Iran for an indefinite period, regional officials said Monday, as Israel and Iran trade heavy fire and threaten more.

"Border facilities in all five districts—Jaggi, Washak, Panjgur, Kich, and Gwadar—have been suspended," Qadir Bakhsh Birkani, an official in Balochistan province bordering Iran, told AFP.

Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, which began with a surprise attack in the early hours of Friday morning, killing several senior Iranian military leaders and damaging nuclear sites.

Israel said the campaign would continue to escalate in the coming days. For its part, Iran vowed to "open the gates of hell" on Israel in response.

The Israeli military said the current goal of the campaign is not regime change in Iran, but rather dismantling Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.