As Regional Diplomats Meet, Iran Warns U.s. Ground Troops Would Be 'set On Fire'

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A apical Iranian charismatic warned nan U.S. against a crushed invasion, saying its troops would beryllium group “on fire,” arsenic location diplomats met Sunday successful Pakistan successful hopes of opening nonstop U.S.-Iran talks and ending nan monthlong war.

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

The warfare has threatened world supplies of oil, earthy state and fertilizer and disrupted aerial travel. Iran’s grip connected nan strategical Strait of Hormuz has shaken markets and prices, and now nan Iranian-backed Houthi rebels’ introduction into nan warfare could frighten shipping connected different important waterway, nan Bab el-Mandeb Strait disconnected nan 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 nan United States to extremity nan war. “I americium decidedly afraid.”

More than 3,000 group person been killed successful nan warfare that began pinch U.S. and Israeli strikes connected Iran that triggered Iranian attacks connected Israel and neighboring gulf Arab states. Meanwhile, Israel has invaded Lebanon, targeting Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants there, though galore civilians person displaced aliases killed. The warfare continues connected nan integer beforehand arsenic well.

Pakistan hosts diplomats

Pakistan said nan overseas ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt met successful Islamabad without U.S. aliases Israeli participation, days aft nan United States offered Iran a 15-point “action list” arsenic a model for a imaginable bid deal. The ministers are expected to meet again Monday.

Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty said nan meetings are aimed astatine opening a “direct dialogue” betwixt nan U.S. and Iran, which person mostly communicated done mediators. Both this warfare and past year’s 12-day warfare began pinch U.S. attacks during rounds of indirect U.S.-Iranian talks.

Iranian officials person rejected nan U.S. model and publically dismissed nan thought of negotiating nether pressure. But Press TV, nan English-language limb of Iran’s authorities broadcaster, reported past week that Tehran had drafted its ain five-point connection that reportedly called for a halt to sidesplitting Iranian officials, guarantees against early attacks, reparations and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty complete nan Strait of Hormuz.”

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

An advisor to nan United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, called for immoderate colony of nan warfare to see “clear guarantees” that Iranian attacks connected neighbors will not beryllium repeated.

Gargash said Iran’s authorities has go “the main threat” to Persian Gulf information and called for compensation for attacks connected civilian infrastructure.

Iran threatens strikes connected U.S., Israeli universities

Iran connected Sunday warned of escalation aft Israeli airstrikes deed respective universities, including ones that Israel claimed were utilized for atomic investigation and development. Concerns complete Iran’s atomic programme person been astatine nan bosom of tensions that led to this warfare and past year’s.

The paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that Iran would see Israeli universities and branches of U.S. universities successful nan region “legitimate targets” unless offered information assurances for Iranian universities, authorities media reported.

U.S. colleges person campuses successful Qatar and nan United Arab Emirates, including Georgetown, New York and Northwestern universities.

“If nan U.S. authorities wants its universities successful nan region spared, it should condemn nan bombardment” of Iranian universities by midday Monday, nan Revolutionary Guard said successful a statement.

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

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

Death toll continues to climb

Iranian authorities opportunity much than 1,900 group person been killed successful nan Islamic Republic, while Israel has reported 19 killed there.

In Lebanon, officials said much than 1,100 group person been killed.

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

In gulf states, 20 group person been killed. Four person been killed successful nan occupied West Bank.

Thirteen U.S. troops person been killed and hundreds injured.

Ahmed, Metz and Magdy constitute for nan Associated Press. Metz reported from Ramallah and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writer Samya Kullab successful Basra, Iraq, contributed to this report.