Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, issued a stark warning on Sunday, stating that any U.S. troops entering Iranian soil would be set “on fire.” The threat came as regional diplomats gathered in Pakistan to broker an end to the monthlong conflict between Iran, Israel, and the U.S., with little progress reported.
Diplomatic Efforts Falter
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt convened in Islamabad without U.S. or Israeli participation. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed to have held extensive discussions with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, but the talks yielded no breakthroughs. Meanwhile, U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran continued, prompting retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran. Over 3,000 people have been killed since the conflict began.
“Iran was prepared to confront any American forces on its soil and would respond harshly against both U.S. troops and Washington’s regional allies.” – Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf
Regional Strains Persist
The U.S. recently proposed a 15-point framework for peace, but Iranian leaders publicly rejected negotiations, dismissing the idea of engaging under pressure. Instead, Iran has escalated tensions by targeting Israeli and U.S. interests. The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen also entered the conflict, launching missiles toward Israeli military sites.
Despite U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s assurance that objectives could be achieved without ground troops, Iran remains defiant. Tehran has threatened retaliatory strikes on Israeli and American universities in the region, further complicating efforts to de-escalate hostilities.