Pakistan hosts peace talks as Iran accuses US of ground assault plans
Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States as their war drags on, serving as an intermediary for messages between the two sides.
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ISLAMABAD: Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye met on Sunday (Mar 29) for talks on the war in the Middle East, with Islamabad acting as a go-between for the United States and Iran.
The four-way meeting between the top diplomats of the Muslim nations convened "to review the evolving regional situation and discuss issues of mutual interest", Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a brief statement.
Egypt's Badr Abdelatty and Hakan Fidan from Türkiye arrived in Islamabad on Saturday night, while their Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan touched down on Sunday afternoon.
Iran, the United States and Israel were not represented, a foreign ministry source said.
Before the meeting, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate bilateral talks with his visiting counterparts. Fidan and Abdelatty also jointly met Pakistan's powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The government in Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States as their war drags on, serving as an intermediary for messages between the two sides.
Islamabad has longstanding links with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Munir have struck up a personal rapport with US President Donald Trump.
Washington said last week it had offered a 15-point ceasefire plan, with a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restrict Iran's nuclear programme, but Tehran has rejected the proposal and put forward alternatives of its own.
Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, earlier accused the US of sending messages about possible negotiations while at the same time planning to send in troops, adding that Tehran was ready to respond if US soldiers were deployed.
"As long as the Americans seek Iran's surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation," he said in a message to the nation.
CONFLICT ENTERS SECOND MONTH
As the conflict entered its second month, it showed no signs of slowing. Israel's military said it had launched over 140 air strikes on central and western Iran, including Tehran, over the 24 hours to Sunday evening, hitting ballistic missile launch sites and storage facilities, among other targets.
The director of the World Health Organisation said Israel's expanding military operations in southern Lebanon had resulted in the death of "yet another" health worker after 51 had already been killed. Israel says Iran-backed Hezbollah militants use medical facilities for cover, which the group denies.
A chemical plant in southern Israel near the city of Beer Sheva was hit by a missile or missile debris as Israel fended off multiple salvos from Iran, prompting official warnings to the public to stay away due to "hazardous materials".
Another missile hit open ground near homes in Beer Sheva, located near several military bases, injuring 11 people.
The war has killed thousands of people and hit countries across the Middle East: major aluminium plants in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were damaged by air strikes over the weekend.
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