ISLAMABAD (AP) 鈥� announced Sunday that it would soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran, though there was no immediate word from Washington or Tehran, and it was unclear whether discussions on the would be direct or indirect.
“Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the U.S. have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks. Pakistan will be honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days,鈥� Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said after top diplomats from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia met in Islamabad.
Pakistan later said the diplomats had departed for their home countries. The talks were originally scheduled to continue Monday. Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not answer questions, and Iran鈥檚 mission to the United Nations declined to comment.
U.S. President Donald Trump didn’t address the potential Pakistan talks but said Sunday night that Washington was in discussions with Iran and 鈥渨e鈥檙e doing extremely well in that negotiation.鈥�
Trump was asked aboard Air Force One if Iran had responded to a 15-point ceasefire plan the U.S. has proposed and he said they did, adding: 鈥淭hey gave us most of the points. Why wouldn鈥檛 they?鈥� He didn’t elaborate.
Islamabad has emerged as a mediator, having relatively good ties with Washington and Tehran, after what Pakistani officials call weeks of quiet diplomacy.
Earlier, Iran鈥檚 parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks in Pakistan as a cover after some trained in amphibious landings arrived in the Middle East. He said Iranian forces were 鈥渨aiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,鈥� according to state media.
Iran also threatened to attack homes of U.S. and Israeli 鈥渃ommanders and political officials鈥� in the region. A spokesperson for the Iranian military’s joint command, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, cited the 鈥渢argeting of residential homes of the Iranian people in various cities鈥� and other 鈥渕alicious actions,鈥� state media reported.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know at what moment our homes could be targeted,鈥� said Razzak Saghir al-Mousawi, 71, describing relentless airstrikes as Iranians crossing into Iraq urged the United States to end the war. 鈥淚 am definitely afraid.鈥�
Meanwhile in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will widen its of Lebanon, expanding the 鈥渆xisting security strip鈥� in that country鈥檚 south while targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. No details were released.
Over 1 million Lebanese have been displaced in the war. One of them, Mohammad Doghman, called Israel 鈥渁n expansionist state.鈥�
Fleeing Iranians urge US to end war
has threatened of oil, natural gas and and disrupted air travel. Iran鈥檚 grip on the strategic has shaken markets and prices. Now the entry into the war could threaten shipping on another crucial waterway, the Bab el-Mandeb strait to the Red Sea.
While flying to Washington, Trump said Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the strait starting Monday morning and continuing over the next few days 鈥渙ut of a sign of respect.鈥�
Israel鈥檚 military said that its air force had intercepted two drones launched from Yemen very early on Monday morning.
Late on Sunday, Israel鈥檚 military said that over the past 24 hours its fighter jets had dropped more than 120 munitions in Tehran, targeting sites used for weapons research, development and production. Around the same time, Iran鈥檚 state television said power was back in areas of Tehran that had experienced outages after attacks on electricity facilities.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for launching their first attack in the current war — a missile fired at Israel, which was also intercepted 鈥� early on Saturday morning.
More than 3,000 people have been killed in that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered Iranian attacks against Israel and U.S. military assets and other sites in neighboring Gulf Arab states. The war continues on as well.
Egypt says meetings aim for 鈥榙irect dialogue鈥�
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the meetings in Pakistan are aimed at opening a 鈥渄irect dialogue鈥� between the U.S. and Iran, which have largely communicated through mediators. The war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes during indirect talks. Pakistan said the foreign ministers met Sunday without U.S. or Israeli participation.
Iranian officials have rejected a U.S. 15-point 鈥渁ction list鈥� as a framework for a possible peace deal and publicly dismissed the idea of negotiating under pressure. But Iran鈥檚 state broadcaster has reported that Tehran drafted its own five-point proposal reportedly calling for a halt to killing Iranian officials, guarantees against future attacks, reparations and Iran鈥檚 鈥渆xercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.鈥�
Iran has 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,鈥� said Asif Durrani, Pakistan鈥檚 former ambassador to Iran.
An adviser to the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, called for any settlement to the war to include 鈥渃lear guarantees鈥� that Iranian attacks on neighbors will not be repeated. He said Iran’s government has become 鈥渢he main threat鈥� to Persian Gulf security, and called for compensation for attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Iran threatens strikes on Israeli and US universities
Iran warned of escalation after Israeli airstrikes hit several universities, including ones that Israel claimed were used for nuclear research and development. are at the heart of tensions.
The paramilitary said Iran would consider Israeli universities and branches of U.S. universities in the region 鈥渓egitimate targets鈥� unless offered safety assurances for Iranian universities, state media reported.
鈥淚f the U.S. government wants its universities in the region spared, it should condemn the bombardment鈥� of Iranian universities by midday Monday, the Guard said.
U.S. colleges have campuses in Qatar and the UAE, including Georgetown, New York and Northwestern universities. The American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University, also in Beirut, moved classes online and called it a precautionary measure.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said dozens of universities and research centers have been hit, including 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 climbs
In Lebanon, officials said more than 1,200 people have been . There were fears of more deaths after Netanyahu, speaking on a visit to northern Israel, announced the expanded invasion. Hezbollah 鈥渟till has residual capability to fire rockets at us,” he said.
Iranian authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.
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.
Thirteen U.S. service members in the war.
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Magdy reported from Cairo and Anna from Lowville, New York. Contributing were Associated Press writers Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One; Josef Federman in Jerusalem; Samya Kullab in Basra, Iraq; Ali Sharafeddine in Beirut; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles.
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