Dubai: Iranian forces “are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever”, the country’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on Sunday.”Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased,” Qalibaf added.The comments came as regional powers plan to meet in Pakistan to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East as about 2,500 US Marines arrived in the region and Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the month-long war.Death toll climbsMarch 29, 2026 8:24 pmDubai: Iranian authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel. In Lebanon, where Israel has started an invasion in the south while targeting the Hezbollah militant group, officials said more than 1,100 people have been killed in the country since the start of the war. In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died. In the Gulf states, 20 people have been killed. Four have been killed in the occupied West Bank. APHouthi involvement sparks concernsMarch 29, 2026 8:24 pmDubai: Houthi Brig Gen Yahya Saree said on the rebels’ Al-Masirah satellite television station on Saturday that they launched missiles towards “sensitive Israeli military sites” in the south. The group – which controls parts of Yemen – launched repeated attacks aimed at Israel and Red Sea shipping during the height of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli strikes on Yemen last year killed the rebel-run government’s prime minister and top military general. If the Houthis again increased attacks on commercial shipping, it would further push up oil prices and destabilise “all of maritime security”, said Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group. “The impact would not be limited to the energy market.” Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is crucial for vessels heading to the Suez Canal through the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has been routing millions of barrels of crude oil a day through it because the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed. APSaudi, Egypt and Turkiye foreign ministers in Pakistan to discuss West Asia tensionsMarch 29, 2026 5:08 pmForeign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye are in Pakistan on Sunday to attend a two-day quadrilateral summit organised to find a way to de-escalate the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, while their Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reached here on Sunday at the invitation of Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Dar held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye on Sunday on the sidelines of the summit. He is expected to hold talks with his Saudi counterparts separately as well.’We will never be humiliated’: Iran Speaker Ghalibaf slams US ’15-Point Plan’March 29, 2026 5:06 pmIran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday accused the United States and Israel of planning a “ground invasion” under the guise of diplomacy, warning that Tehran will not yield to pressure, according to Iranian state media Press TV. As quoted by Press TV, he said, “The enemy talks of negotiations but plans a ground invasion. The US seeks in a 15-point list what it couldn’t win in war. Our forces are ready, and we will never be humiliated.” Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the United States and Israel may seek to widen the scope of the ongoing conflict by drawing in other countries or staging “false-flag operations”, according to the Iranian media, Press TV.US Marines start arriving in Middle EastMarch 29, 2026 5:01 pmWashington 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.Iran parliament speaker warns US against ground invasionMarch 29, 2026 4:59 pmIranian forces “are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,” Iran parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Sunday. “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased,” Qalibaf said. He warned the US against a ground invasion, threatening severe retaliation against American troops and allies in the region if US forces alight on Iranian soil, according to Iran official media. He described the US’ 15-point plan which Pakistan passed to Iran last week as “their wishes” and said the Trump administration is attempting to gain through the plan what it has failed to achieve by force.Working in close coordination with US to respond to missile attack from Yemen’s Houthis: Israel militaryMarch 29, 2026 3:28 pmIsrael and the US are “working in very close coordination” to respond after Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they had launched missiles toward Israeli targets, Israel military spokesperson Col Nadav Shoshani told reporters on Sunday. He declined to provide details on operations against the Iran-backed group, which controls parts of Yemen, but said Israel had grown accustomed to confronting repeated attacks from the Houthis, who have for more than two years launched missiles and drones toward Israel and shipping targets in the Red Sea. He also said Israeli military statements about nearing completion of top-priority strikes did not mean it was running out of overall targets.Oman says no party has claimed responsibility for attacks on its territoryMarch 29, 2026 1:47 pmOman’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it condemns attacks on its territory, adding that no party has claimed responsibility. It said authorities were investigating the attacks’ “sources and motives” without providing further details or specifying any specific attack. Oman said on Saturday that a worker was injured in a drone attack on the Gulf country’s Salalah port and Danish container shipping group Maersk said later that it temporarily halted its operations at the port after Saturday’s attack.Israeli military says soldier killed in southern LebanonMarch 29, 2026 1:47 pmThe Israeli military said early on Sunday that one of its soldiers was killed during combat in southern Lebanon.Diplomacy attempts as US beefs up troop numbersMarch 29, 2026 8:44 amPakistan said that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war, arriving on Sunday for a two-day visit. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held “extensive discussions” on regional hostilities. But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Turkish counterpart by phone that Tehran was skeptical about recent diplomatic efforts.Pentagon preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran: ReportMarch 29, 2026 8:44 amThe Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing US officials. The plans could involve raids by Special Operations and conventional infantry troops, the Post reported. Whether President Donald Trump would approve any of those plans remains uncertain, according to the Post.Israeli military reports injuries to soldiers in southern LebanonMarch 29, 2026 8:44 amThe military said nine soldiers were injured in two different attacks in southern Lebanon. Two officers were severely injured, the military said in a statement, adding that they occurred during anti-tank missile fire and a rocket launched towards Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the total number of soldiers wounded since the war began.Witnesses in Tehran report heavy strikesMarch 29, 2026 8:44 amIsrael’s military said that it targeted Iran’s naval weapons production facilities, and said that it would finish attacking essential weapons production sites within “a few days.” Iran fired missiles toward Israel, while air defences early on Sunday intercepted missiles and drones across Gulf countries. The US said that it has struck more than 11,000 Iranian targets in the war.