The U.S. and Iran each fired barrages of missiles Thursday, as the pattern of back-and-forth strikes took hold again and hope dimmed for any quick resolution. The U.S. and Iran trade strikesAn Iranian strike hit a Chinese company's building in northern Kuwait Thursday morning, severely damaging the structure and killing a worker, Kuwait’s military said, hours after Jordan’s air defenses shot down five missiles launched from Iran. Before the latest eruption, mediators had expressed optimism about bringing the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict. That route became even more important during the war, as Saudi Arabia used it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.