Tensions in West Asia escalated sharply as Iran issued a stark warning of retaliation against any potential US ground incursion, even as the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan met in Islamabad to try to prevent the conflict from spiralling further.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Tehran was prepared for direct confrontation, declaring its forces were “waiting for American soldiers to set foot on the ground” to “rain fire” upon them. He accused the US of a dual approach—publicly signalling dialogue while secretly preparing for military escalation—and warned the conflict had reached a “critical moment.”
Qalibaf tied the crisis to control over the Strait of Hormuz, calling its opening an operational objective for Washington and asserting Iran would not yield to US pressure. “We will not exit this war except with victory,” he said, as hostilities entered their second month.
Reports say the US Department of Defense is preparing limited ground-operation options in Iran that could involve thousands of troops, though President Trump has not approved any plan.
Against this backdrop, foreign ministers Badr Abdelatty of Egypt, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Ishaq Dar of Pakistan and Hakan Fidan of Turkey began two days of talks in Islamabad focused on de-escalation and exploring dialogue pathways. The initiative underscores Pakistan’s bid to act as mediator—Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered to host US-Iran talks, a proposal that received a public nod from President Trump.
The Islamabad talks form part of wider backchannel efforts by regional powers to bridge the Washington-Tehran divide. With the Strait of Hormuz a flashpoint and military posturing intensifying, the coming days will test whether diplomacy can still provide an off-ramp from a widening conflict.
