High-ranking diplomats from key regional powers gathered in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss ways to end the fighting in the Middle East. Signs of progress were scarce, as Israel and the United States continued their strikes against Iran and Tehran retaliated with missiles and drones throughout the region. Pakistan indicated that foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were participating in the talks in Islamabad.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan mentioned that he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had “in-depth discussions” on regional hostilities. Over 3000 people have been killed in this month-long war, which started with American and Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering Iran’s attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states. The war has also threatened oil and gas supplies, with Iran’s control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz disrupting markets.
The United States and Israel were not part of the talks in Pakistan. The U.S. deployed additional troops to the Middle East, while Houthi rebels from Yemen joined the conflict over the weekend, potentially escalating the war and further disrupting global maritime transport. Israel announced a wave of strikes from Iran on Sunday, with explosions heard throughout Tehran.
Egyptian Badr Abdelatty, Turkish Hakan Fidan, and Saudi Prince Faisal Bin Farhan were in Islamabad for talks scheduled a few days after the U.S. presented Iran with a 15-point “action plan” through Pakistan as a framework for a potential peace agreement. Abdelatty mentioned that these meetings aimed to initiate “direct dialogue” between the U.S. and Iran, who have mostly communicated through mediators during the war. Iranian officials publicly rejected the U.S. framework and dismissed the idea of negotiating under pressure.
However, Press TV, the English-language channel of Iranian public television, reported that Tehran had drafted its own five-point proposal, including ending assassinations of Iranian officials, guarantees against future attacks, war reparations, cessation of hostilities, and “Iran’s exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.” The weekend did not show much indication that the talks were bridging the gap between the U.S. and Iran. American officials emphasized that the war could be approaching a turning point, but Iranian leaders continue to publicly reject any negotiations.
Iran warned on Sunday of further escalation after airstrikes hit several universities, including some allegedly used for nuclear research and development, according to Israel. The Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force, warned that Iran would consider Israeli and American university campuses in the region as “legitimate targets” if no security assurances were given to Iranian universities. American universities, including Georgetown, New York University, and Northwestern, have campuses in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Iranian authorities claim over 1900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 deaths have been reported in Israel. In Lebanon, where Israel invaded the south and targeted the militant Hezbollah group, authorities declared over 1100 deaths since the start of the war. In Iraq, where Iran-backed militias entered the conflict, 80 security forces members were killed. In the Gulf states, 20 people were killed, and four people were killed in occupied West Bank.
