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Video above: Iran-backed Houthis joining the ongoing conflict could further jeopardize international maritime trade | AP Explains
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — An Iranian senior official issued a stark warning to the United States, cautioning against a ground invasion by stating American forces would be “set on fire.” This declaration came as regional diplomats convened in Pakistan on Sunday, aiming to facilitate direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to resolve the ongoing conflict that has persisted for a month.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, asserted that Iranian troops are prepared to confront American forces should they land, vowing to “set them on fire and permanently punish their regional allies,” as reported by Iranian state media. He criticized the diplomatic efforts as mere distractions following the deployment of approximately 2,500 U.S. Marines skilled in amphibious operations to the Middle East.
The conflict has posed a significant threat to global oil, natural gas, and fertilizer supplies while also causing disruptions in air travel. Iran’s control over the critical Strait of Hormuz has unsettled markets and driven up prices. Meanwhile, the involvement of Iranian-supported Houthi rebels in the conflict could also imperil shipping lanes at the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a gateway to the Red Sea.
“We live in uncertainty, unsure of when our homes might be attacked,” expressed 71-year-old Razzak Saghir al-Mousawi, reflecting on the incessant air raids. As Iranians cross into Iraq, they urge the United States to bring an end to the conflict. “I am genuinely fearful,” he added.
More than 3,000 people have been killed in the war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered Iranian attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states. Meanwhile, Israel has invaded Lebanon while targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The war continues on the digital front as well.
Pakistan hosts ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt
Pakistan said the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt met in Islamabad without U.S. or Israeli participation, days after the U.S. offered Iran a 15-point “action list” as a framework for a possible peace deal. The ministers are expected to meet again Monday.
Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty said the meetings are aimed at opening a “direct dialogue” between the U.S. and Iran, which have largely communicated through mediators. Both this war and last year’s 12-day war began during rounds of indirect talks.
Iranian officials have rejected the U.S. framework and publicly dismissed the idea of negotiating under pressure. But Press TV, the English-language arm of Iran’s state broadcaster, reported last week that Tehran had drafted its own five-point proposal that reportedly called for a halt to killing Iranian officials, guarantees against future attacks, reparations and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran has eased some restrictions on commercial ships in the strait, agreeing late Saturday to allow 20 more Pakistani-flagged vessels to pass through. It “sends a clear signal that Iran remains open for business with the world, provided the United States abandons coercion,” said Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Iran.
An adviser to the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, called for any settlement to the war to include “clear guarantees” that Iranian attacks on neighbors will not be repeated.
Gargash said Iran’s government has become “the main threat” to Persian Gulf security and called for compensation for attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Iran threatens retaliatory strikes on Israeli and US universities
Iran on Sunday warned of escalation after Israeli airstrikes hit several universities, including ones that Israel claimed were used for nuclear research and development. Concerns over Iran’s nuclear program are at the heart of tensions.
The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned that Iran would consider Israeli universities and branches of U.S. universities in the region “legitimate targets” unless offered safety assurances for Iranian universities, state media reported.
U.S. colleges have campuses in Qatar and the UAE, including Georgetown, New York and Northwestern universities.
“If the U.S. government wants its universities in the region spared, it should condemn the bombardment” of Iranian universities by midday Monday, the Guard said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Saturday that dozens of universities and research centers have been hit, among them the Iran University of Science and Technology and Isfahan University of Technology.
Both sides in the war have threatened to attack civilian facilities, which critics have warned could be a war crime.
Death toll continues to climb
Iranian authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.
In Lebanon, officials said more than 1,100 people have been killed.
In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died.
In Gulf states, 20 people have been killed. Four have been killed in the occupied West Bank.