Iran warns US over ground attack

Iran said it was ready to respond to a US ground attack, accusing Washington on Sunday of preparing a land assault even as it sought negotiations and as regional powers held talks in Pakistan to try to end the fighting.The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were set to meet in Islamabad to discuss ways to halt the month-long US-Israeli war on Iran, which has killed thousands of people and caused the biggest-ever disruption to global energy supplies.Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused the US of sending messages about possible negotiations while secretly planning to send in its ground forces, adding that Iran was ready to respond if US troops deployed."As long as the Americans seek Iran's surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation," he said in a message to the nation.A media report on Saturday said the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of potential ground operations in Iran as thousands of US troops deploy to the Middle East, pending a decision by President Donald Trump.          Officials said the plans could mark “a new phase of the war” that may be “significantly more dangerous” for US forces than the first four weeks of fighting, according to the Washington Post.Any ground mission would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could involve raids by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said the operations could expose troops to “drones and missiles, ground fire and improvised explosives.”“It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality,” the newspaper quoted White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. “It does not mean the President has made a decision.”Discussions have included potential operations targeting Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub, and coastal raids near the Strait of Hormuz to neutralize threats to shipping.Officials said possible missions could last “weeks, not months,” while others estimated “a couple of months.”Trump previously said, “I’m not putting troops anywhere,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that it “is not going to be a prolonged conflict” and could achieve objectives “without ground troops.”Public opinion remains divided, with a poll showing 62% oppose deploying ground troops to Iran, while 12% support the measure.Military analyst Michael Eisenstadt warned of risks, saying: “I just wouldn’t want to be in that small place with Iran’s ability to rain down drones.”He added that mobility is critical, noting, “Agility is part of your force protection.”Washington has dispatched thousands of Marines to the Middle East, with the first of two contingents arriving on Friday aboard an amphibious assault ship, the US military has said.The Washington Post quoted US officials as saying the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, possibly involving raids by Special Operations and conventional infantry troops.Whether President Donald Trump would approve plans for deploying ground troops remained uncertain, the Post said.Reuters has reported that the Pentagon has considered military options that could include ground forces.Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US could achieve its aims without ground troops but was deploying forces to the region to give Trump "maximum" flexibility.Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate one-on-one meetings in Islamabad on Sunday with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts ahead of the four-way consultations.In parallel, military-level contacts are also under way, with Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir in regular contact with US Vice President JD Vance, a source familiar with the discussions said.Meanwhile, sirens blared across over 100 towns in Israel on Sunday, following coordinated attacks by Iran and Hezbollah, causing missile debris to fall in Haifa. Sirens sounded in over 100 towns, with explosions seen over Tel Aviv as missiles were intercepted as Hezbollah continued to fire rockets from Lebanon, with incidents reported near Tel Aviv and northern Israel.An Iranian missile struck an industrial facility in Neot Hovav, a major industrial zone in southern Israel known for its concentration of chemical plants, triggering a hazardous materials incident and prompting emergency measures, authorities said. Fire and thick black smoke were seen rising from the site following the impact. Emergency medical teams reported that one person was lightly wounded by the blast. No additional casualties were immediately confirmed.  Iran continued its attacks on Israel and several Gulf states. Air defences shot down a drone near the residence of the leader of the Iraqi Kurdish ruling party in Erbil early on Sunday, ⁠security sources said.

Another drone strike targeted the home of the president of Iraq's Kurdistan region a day earlier, the sources said.As efforts to find a negotiated end to the war inched forward, Israel's military continued its relentless air assault on Iran, saying on Sunday its forces had targeted Tehran's weapons manufacturing infrastructure, including dozens of storage and production sites the day before.Five people were killed in a strike on a pier in the southern port city of Bandar-e-Khamir that also destroyed two vessels, Iranian state media reported.Israel also hit targets in Lebanon as part of its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah, killing three Lebanese journalists in a strike on a media vehicle, Lebanon's Al Manar TV reported, as well as a Lebanese soldier.With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, there is also concern about shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea after Yemen's Houthis entered the fray.Gulf nations reported a series of attacks as the US-Israel war against Iran entered its fifth week, including strikes on major industrial infrastructure.The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said a number of people had been injured in an Iranian strike on a key aluminium plant in Abu Dhabi, with significant damage reported by operator Emirates Global Aluminium.Meanwhile, state-controlled Aluminium Bahrain said two employees were wounded by an Iranian attack on one of the world's largest aluminium smelting facilities.It comes after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis entered the conflict on Saturday, raising fears of further economic disruption should they target shipping in the Red Sea.The group said it had launched a barrage of missiles against Israel targeting "sensitive" military sites, and vowed to continue such attacks. Israel said it had shot down two missiles coming from Yemen.Oil and gas prices have already spiked as Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global energy supplies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.Kuwait's defence ministry said the radar system at its international airport had been significantly damaged after being attacked by 15 drones.Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday threatened to target US universities in the Middle East, while saying US-Israeli strikes had destroyed two Iranian universities.The Guards demanded a US condemnation of the bombing of universities by noon (0830 GMT) Monday.