Tehran warns US against ground assault

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were expected in Pakistan on Sunday for two days of talks on the conflict in the Middle East.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is hosting the talks in Islamabad which don’t involve any of the directly warring parties.

Nevertheless, in preparation for the talks, Dar held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Saturday, during which he emphasized the need for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable paths to peace.

“Dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward,” Dar wrote on social media, tagging US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff and Araghchi in his post.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he also had a “detailed” call on Saturday with Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who he called his “brother.”

Sharif said he had encouraged Pezeshkian to take advantage of “Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic outreach — engaging the United States and brotherly Gulf and Islamic countries — to facilitate dialogue and de-escalation.”

Pezeshkian praised Islamabad’s efforts and “thanked Pakistan for its mediation efforts to stop the aggression against the Islamic republic,” according to his office.

Pakistan has emerged as a key diplomatic link between Iran and the United States as the conflict drags on, serving as an intermediary for messages between the two sides.

Islamabad has longstanding links with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf, while Prime Minister Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, the head of the armed forces, reportedly enjoy a good personal rapport with US President Donald Trump.

“Pakistan remains committed to supporting all efforts aimed at restoring regional peace and stability,” said Foreign Minister Dar.