Iran warns U.S. against ground invasion, as Pakistan holds diplomatic talks
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf has accused the U.S. of planning a ground invasion as part of the next stage in the Iran war, and said such an intervention would be met with force.
Also on Sunday, Iran threatened to target American and Israeli universities in the Middle East as part of its war effort.
Meanwhile, ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt met in Islamabad today in an attempt to come up with a plan to de-escalate the war. Pakistan has offered to host talks between the U.S. and Iran "in coming days."
On Saturday, another group got involved in the expanding conflict: Yemen's Houthis. The Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles towards Israel, and there's concern their involvement could threaten another vital global shipping lane in the Red Sea.
Here are more updates on day 30 of the Iran war.
Iran's threat to America
In a post on social media platform Telegram, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf struck an aggressive tone, writing: "the enemy publicly signals negotiations while secretly planning a ground invasion."
"Our forces are ready for any US ground troops, and our response is clear: We'll never accept humiliation," Ghalibaf said.
Ghalibaf was referring to news that the U.S.S. Tripoli, carrying 3,500 U.S. marines and sailors, arrived in the region on Friday.
In a post on social media on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said that troops from the Japan-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit had arrived in the Middle East on the U.S.S. Tripoli.
The U.S. military will not say where and how they might be deployed. Thousands more soldiers from the U.S. military's 82nd Airborne Division are also expected to be deployed.
Earlier, Iran rejected a 15 point plan the U.S. had proposed to end the war, and put forward its own proposal that would give Iran official control over the Strait of Hormuz and have the U.S. pay for war damages.
Iran threatens U.S. universities in region
Iranian authorities and residents say more airstrikes hit them overnight. Social media videos from across Iran showed strikes hitting all over the country.
Israel's military said it had completed what it called a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting weapons production and storage sites.
Iran claims U.S.-Israeli strikes hit a Tehran university over the weekend and Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened American university campuses in the Middle East in retaliation.
"We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas" to stay a kilometer away from campuses, the statement, carried by Iranian media, said.
Several U.S. universities have campuses in the Gulf, including New York University in the United Arab Emirates and Texas A&M University, among others, in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to fire drones and missiles at Gulf countries, with Kuwait saying it was intercepting missile and drone attacks early Sunday. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed ten drones.
Iran also claimed it had attacked two major aluminium sites in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Emirates Global Aluminium confirmed an Iranian attack wounded several and caused significant damage to its plant.
Diplomacy Push in Pakistan
The foreign ministers from four regional powers — Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt — met in Islamabad today and will meet again Monday for a push towards diplomacy to end the war.
Pakistan has emerged as a possible peace-broker in the conflict, passing messages between the U.S. and Tehran. After the meeting concluded on Sunday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a statement posted on social media that Pakistan will be "honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict."
"Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the U.S. have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks," Dar said.
Dar also welcomed the fact Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistan-flagged ships – or two a day – through the Strait of Hormuz.
It is unclear whether the U.S. and Iran have accepted Pakistan's offer. It is also unclear if Israel will agree to the talks. Dar did not share whether the talks would take place in person or would happen indirectly.
In a statement ahead of Sunday's meeting, the Egyptian government said: "Discussions are expected to focus on recent developments related to regional military escalation and ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain tensions and promote de-escalation."
"The talks come amid heightened concerns about regional stability, with participating countries seeking to coordinate their stances and support political solutions to emerging crises," it added.
Houthis enter war
Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen launched the first missile they have fired since the war began toward Israel on Saturday. Israel's military successfully intercepted it but the Houthis' attack opens another front in a war that has now moved into its second month.
Up until Saturday's missile launch the Houthis had stayed out of this war. But a Houthi spokesman said attacks will continue until "the aggression on all resistance fronts stops."
The Yemen-based rebels were active during Israel's war in Gaza, firing on cargo ships in the Red Sea and disrupting global commercial traffic.
With Iran essentially blockading the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil prices, there are concerns that if the Houthis start attacking ships in the Red Sea again global shipping will be even more disrupted.
Iran also hit multiple sites around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Saturday and Israel's military says Iran is increasingly using cluster bombs.
Designed to detonate at high altitude the munition disperses dozens of smaller bombs that are more challenging for Israel's multi-layered air defense system to intercept and can cause damage over a wider area.
Dozens of countries have signed onto a cluster munitions treaty banning the weapons – except Iran, Israel and the U.S.
U.S. Troops injured
At least 15 U.S. service members were wounded Friday in an Iranian strike on a Saudi air base that hosts American troops, according to the Associated Press, including at least five in serious condition. The missile and drone strikes targeted Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan air base, located outside the capital Riyadh.
Iran has targeted U.S. service members at bases throughout the region since the war began a month ago, in retaliation for the U.S. attacks and seeking to drive troops out of the region. Overall, the Pentagon has put the U.S. casualty toll at 13 killed and more than 300 injured.
Journalists killed in Lebanon
Three Lebanese journalists covering the Israeli invasion of the country's south were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Jezzine on Saturday. A funeral was held on Sunday.
One of them worked for a TV channel affiliated with Hezbollah and Israel accuses him of being a militant rather than a journalist – but has not provided evidence. The journalist Israel says it targeted was Ali Shaeb, a veteran TV correspondent and household name in Lebanon. After killing him, Israel's military issued a statement accusing him of exposing the locations of Israeli troops.
The other two journalists killed were siblings, TV correspondent Fatima Ftouni and her cameraman brother, Mohammed Ftouni. Afterward their father appeared on TV, saying he was proud of his children.
All three had been covering Israel's invasion of southern Lebanon.
Lebanese officials called the attack a flagrant violation of international law, and said they're complaining to the UN Security Council. Hundreds of fellow journalists marched at a protest vigil in Lebanon's capital.
The three journalists were among at least 47 people killed Saturday in Israeli attacks, according to Lebanese health officials.
Nine of those killed were paramedics, which the head of the World Health Organization called "a tragedy," noting health workers are protected under international law.
Israel has intensified its attacks across Lebanon, mostly in the South, where Israeli ground troops are moving northward to try to oust Hezbollah militants.
Another Israeli soldier was also killed in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing his condolences on X over the weekend.
Developments in Syria, Iraq
The war is spreading to more parts of the Middle East. On Sunday, Syria said it had intercepted a drone strike from Iraq targeting a U.S. military base. Pro-Iran Iraqi groups have claimed responsibility for some attacks on U.S. interests.
Separately, the Syrian and UAE governments condemned an attack targeting the residence of the Kurdish region's president Nechirvan Barzani.
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the attack saying: "The sovereignty of Iraq, and of Kurdistan within it, is essential to regional stability. Everything must be done to prevent Iraq from being drawn into the ongoing escalation."
On Sunday, the Israeli army said it had launched its "first" attack into Lebanon from Syria.
Jane Arraf in Amman, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Lauren Frayer in Jezzine, Lebanon, Carrie Khan in Tel Aviv, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.