Pakistan says it will host US-Iran talks, while Iran warns US ground troops would be 'set on fire'

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan announced Sunday that it volition soon big talks betwixt the U.S. and Iran, though determination was nary contiguous connection from Washington oregon Tehran, and it was unclear whether the talks connected the monthlong warfare would beryllium nonstop oregon indirect.

"Pakistan is precise blessed that some Iran and the U.S. person expressed their assurance successful Pakistan to facilitate the talks. Pakistan volition beryllium honored to big and facilitate meaningful talks betwixt the 2 sides successful the coming days,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said successful a code aft apical diplomats from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia met successful Islamabad. They are expected to conscionable again Monday.

Pakistan's overseas ministry did not reply questions. Islamabad has emerged arsenic a mediator, having comparatively bully ties with Washington and Tehran. Pakistani officials person said their nationalist effort follows weeks of quiescent diplomacy.

Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks successful Pakistan arsenic a screen aft immoderate 2,500 U.S. Marines trained successful amphibious landings arrived successful the Middle East. He said Iranian forces were “waiting for the accomplishment of American troops connected the crushed to acceptable them connected occurrence and punish their determination partners forever,” according to authorities media.

Meanwhile successful Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the subject volition widen its penetration of Lebanon, expanding the “existing information strip” successful that country’s southbound portion targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. No details were released.

War has threatened planetary trade

The warfare has threatened planetary supplies of oil, earthy state and fertilizer and disrupted aerial travel. Iran’s grip connected the strategical Strait of Hormuz has shaken markets and prices, and present the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels ' introduction into the warfare could endanger shipping connected different important waterway, the Bab el-Mandeb strait to the Red Sea.

“We don’t cognize astatine what infinitesimal our homes could beryllium targeted,” said Razzak Saghir al-Mousawi, 71, describing relentless airstrikes arsenic Iranians crossing into Iraq urged the United States to extremity the war. “I americium decidedly afraid.”

Witnesses reported much strikes Sunday nighttime successful Tehran, and authorities media cited Iran’s vigor ministry arsenic saying powerfulness was chopped successful Tehran and Alborz provinces aft attacks connected energy facilities.

More than 3,000 radical person been killed successful the warfare that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes connected Iran that triggered Iranian attacks connected Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states. The warfare continues connected the integer beforehand arsenic well.

Egypt says meetings purpose for ‘direct dialogue’

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the meetings successful Pakistan are aimed astatine opening a “direct dialogue” betwixt the U.S. and Iran, which person mostly communicated done mediators. Both this warfare and past year's 12-day warfare began during rounds of indirect talks. Pakistan said the overseas ministers met Sunday without U.S. oregon Israeli participation.

Iranian officials person rejected a U.S. 15-point “action list” arsenic a model for a imaginable bid woody and publically dismissed the thought of negotiating nether pressure. But Iran’s authorities broadcaster reported past week that Tehran had drafted its ain five-point connection reportedly calling for a halt to sidesplitting Iranian officials, guarantees against aboriginal attacks, reparations and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty implicit the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran has eased immoderate restrictions connected commercialized ships successful the strait, agreeing precocious Saturday to let 20 much Pakistani-flagged vessels to walk through. It "sends a wide awesome that Iran remains unfastened for concern with the world, provided the United States abandons coercion,” said Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s erstwhile ambassador to Iran.

An advisor to the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, called for immoderate colony to the warfare to see “clear guarantees” that Iranian attacks connected neighbors volition not beryllium repeated. He said Iran's authorities has go “the main threat” to Persian Gulf security, and called for compensation for attacks connected civilian infrastructure.

Iran threatens strikes connected Israeli and US universities

Iran warned of escalation aft Israeli airstrikes deed respective universities, including ones that Israel claimed were utilized for atomic probe and development. Concerns implicit Iran's atomic programme are astatine the bosom of tensions.

The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Iran would see Israeli universities and branches of U.S. universities successful the portion “legitimate targets” unless offered information assurances for Iranian universities, authorities media reported.

“If the U.S. authorities wants its universities successful the portion spared, it should condemn the bombardment” of Iranian universities by midday Monday, the Guard said.

U.S. colleges person campuses successful Qatar and the UAE, including Georgetown, New York and Northwestern universities. The American University of Beirut moved classes online and called it a precautionary measure.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Saturday that dozens of universities and probe centers person been hit, among them the Iran University of Science and Technology and Isfahan University of Technology.

Both sides successful the warfare person threatened to onslaught civilian facilities, which critics person warned could beryllium a warfare crime.

Death toll climbs

In Lebanon, officials said much than 1,200 radical person been killed. There were fears of much deaths aft Netanyahu, speaking connected a sojourn to bluish Israel, said Israel was “determined to fundamentally alteration the concern successful the north.” He said Hezbollah “still has residual capableness to occurrence rockets astatine us.”

Iranian authorities accidental much than 1,900 radical person been killed successful the Islamic Republic, portion 19 person been reported dormant successful Israel.

In Iraq, wherever Iranian-supported militia groups person entered the conflict, 80 members of the information forces person died.

In Gulf states, 20 radical person been killed. Four person been killed successful the occupied West Bank.

Thirteen American work members person been killed successful the war.

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Metz reported from Ramallah and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Josef Federman successful Jerusalem and Samya Kullab successful Basra, Iraq, contributed to this report.

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