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# Iran warns against US ground invasion as regional leaders ramp up diplomatic efforts

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Pakistan says it is prepared to host US-Iran talks "in coming days"
00:24 • Source: CNN
Pakistan says it is prepared to host US-Iran talks "in coming days"
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## Here's the latest

• US troops: Iran’s parliament speaker accused the US of “secretly planning a ground invasion” while talking of negotiations. The USS Tripoli — carrying 3,500 US service members — has arrived in the Middle East .

• Wartime diplomacy: Pakistan said it is prepared to host talks between the US and Iran “in coming days,” after meeting with regional leaders in Islamabad to discuss efforts on de-escalating the conflict.

• Energy costs: Oil prices climbed after Tehran’s warning about US ground troops, with Brent crude rising 2.47% to $107.92.

• Israeli operations: The Israel Defense Forces said it is days away from hitting all the targets in Iran that it classifies a “top priority.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he’s ordered the expansion of Israel’s security buffer zone in southern Lebanon , where its forces are exchanging fire with Hezbollah.

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## Trump claims there has been “regime change” in Iran

By Samantha Waldenberg

President Donald Trump claimed Sunday that there has been “regime change” in Iran during the course of the war.

“We’ve had regime change, if you look already, because the one regime was decimated, destroyed, they’re all dead,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One.

“The next regime is mostly dead, and the third regime, we’re dealing with different people than anybody’s dealt with before. It’s a whole different group of people. So I would consider that regime change, and frankly, they’ve been very reasonable,” he continued.

Some context: Mojtaba Khamenei , the son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was elevated to the position his father held for nearly four decades after the elder Khamenei’s death in US-Israeli air strikes. Top Iranian officials, including one of its most powerful decision-makers, Ali Larijani, have also been killed in strikes.

The president’s comments come as Pakistan has said it is prepared to host talks between the US and Iran “in coming days,” after meeting with regional leaders in Islamabad to discuss efforts on de-escalating the conflict.

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## Free public transport in two Australia states to ease fuel cost burden

By Hilary Whiteman
A train heads toward Perth's central business district as cars commute alongside on March 23, 2026. Western Australia's government says there has been a big spike in the number of people using public transport over the past three weeks, at the same time the war in the Middle East sent petrol prices skyrocketing.
Antony Dickson/AFP/Getty Images

Public transport will be free in two Australian states under new measures designed to ease the burden of rising fuel costs as the war in Iran continues to strain global supplies.

In Victoria, trains, trams and buses will be free during April, while Tasmania will offer free transport on buses and ferries until July 1.

The measures come as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convenes a meeting of state and territory leaders to discuss a nationwide response to rising oil prices.

Ministers will discuss the possibility of fuel rationing, fuel tax cuts and potential work from home guidance, though the government says it won’t be issuing Covid-style mandates.

Later Monday, parliament will consider new fuel security powers to allow the government to underwrite the cost of shiploads of fuel on the international market.

“It is to help companies in the spot market add to supply and to undertake transactions that they would find it very difficult to undertake by themselves in this very volatile international environment,” Energy Minister Chris Bowen told ABC Radio Monday.

The government blames higher demand for fuel shortages in rural areas, and while officials insist oil is still flowing to Australia, they concede the outlook is unclear.

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## Brent oil advances as Iran war stretches into fifth week

By Kristie Lu Stout
Oil storage tanks at Grain LNG importation terminal are seen near the River Medway in the Thames Estuary on March 12, 2026 in Isle of Grain, England.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Pakistan may be ready to facilitate peace talks , but investors are deeply concerned that the war — and its supply disruptions — will drag on.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, is rising on the back of a number negative data points about the conflict, including Iran’s warning against a US ground invasion , Houthi rebels’ first strikes on Israel since the start of the war, and the arrival of USS Tripoli in the region with 3,500 US service members on board.

Due to Iran’s selective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz , the cost of energy is soaring as the world is losing as much as 20 million barrels of oil per day from Middle East producers.

Since the war began five weeks ago, Brent crude is trading up more than 50%.

According to the IEA, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the biggest oil shock in history.

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## Will Iran’s new supreme leader allow a nuclear weapon?

By CNN staff

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to signal whether he’ll uphold or abandon the country’s ban on nuclear weapons, leaving Iran’s nuclear direction unclear. CNN’s Mostafa Salem reports.

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Will Iran's new supreme leader allow a nuclear weapon?

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to signal whether he’ll uphold or abandon the country’s ban on nuclear weapons, leaving Iran’s nuclear direction unclear. CNN’s Mostafa Salem reports.

01:49 • Source: CNN
Will Iran's new supreme leader allow a nuclear weapon?
01:49
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## Oil prices climb after Iran warns against US ground invasion

By Auzinea Bacon

Oil prices climbed Sunday after Tehran warned against a US ground invasion .

Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 2.47% to $107.92, while US crude rose 2.94% to $102.57.

The war has caused the largest oil disruption in history because of the Strait of Hormuz’s closure, which 20% of the world’s oil flows through. Strikes targeting oil and gas facilities have also triggered higher gas prices. Americans are paying for the effects of the war at the pump: a gallon of gas in the US cost $3.98 on average Sunday.

Stock futures also fell Sunday, with Dow futures down 0.53%, or 241 points. S&P 500 futures fell 0.46%, while Nasdaq futures declined 0.48%.

This post has been updated with additional information.

Read more about energy costs here.

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## Frozen US job market might stay on ice due to the war

By Alicia Wallace
An aerial view of the Iranian shores and the island of Qeshm in the strait of Hormuz, on December 10, 2023.
Nicolas Economou/Reuters

Job growth was lackluster last year in the United States, but signs of stabilization, if not a rebound, were starting to emerge.

Now, the expanding conflict in the Middle East not only interrupts that potential progress, but also threatens to knock the labor market further off course.

Since the war began thirty days ago, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has increased oil prices, hampered the supply chain and pushed up the cost of gasoline. Inflation fears have heightened, as has uncertainty. That’s a dynamic that could strangle the labor market.

“If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and the oil price stays above $100 through April, then I think it’s a game-changer,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “Then you’re talking about a very different economy, then you’re talking about layoffs re-entering the picture.”

The listless, anemic, “low-hire, low-fire” labor market dynamic is expected to persist … for now.

“Uncertainty is delaying, not canceling, hiring plans,” Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told CNN last week.

Daco currently expects a “jobless” expansion, with employment gains of around 20,000 per month in the first half of the year and unemployment (currently at 4.4%) drifting toward 4.7% by the end of the year.

“With recession odds around 40%, the risk is that a prolonged pause in hiring eventually turns into more visible softening,” he wrote. “For now, it’s still a cooling, not a cracking. But if uncertainty were to re-escalate, those cracks could emerge by late-spring.”

Read more about how the war could impact the US job market here.

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## Iran launches volunteer campaign accepting participants aged 12 and older

By Mohammed Tawfeeq

Media outlets linked to Iran’s security establishment have publicized a new volunteer registration campaign in Tehran that allows participants as young as 12 to sign up for roles tied to security and support activities.

According to a post this week by Defa Press, a media outlet affiliated with Iran’s armed forces, the initiative was announced by Iran’s paramilitary forces known as Basij under the title “Homeland Defender Fighters for Iran.” The campaign is being promoted under the broader slogan “For Iran.”

Officials described the effort as a way to mobilize public assistance and draw on citizens’ abilities across several fields, including defense-related tasks, logistical support and relief work.

Defa Press reported that individuals aged 12 and older are eligible to register for the campaign.

The campaign is part of a wave of Iranian propaganda, CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh reports:

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‘Historic hell’: Iran’s propaganda warning to US military

With the US sending reinforcements to the Gulf, the Iranian regime has been rolling out propaganda on state media claiming they have more than a million troops organized to fight US forces. CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh reports.

01:34 • Source: CNN
‘Historic hell’: Iran’s propaganda warning to US military
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Additional details about the initiative appeared in a video clip shared by Tasnim News, a semi-official Iranian news agency. The segment, which appears to come from Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) discussing the program, outlines several potential roles for volunteers.

Among the positions mentioned are participation in “intelligence patrols,” operational patrols and checkpoint duties, suggesting that some volunteers could take part in activities linked to monitoring or local security operations.

Iran has previously relied on mass mobilization structures linked to its paramilitary networks, particularly the Basij, which operates under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has historically recruited volunteers for both wartime and domestic security roles.

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## Meeting between four regional countries "very productive," Pakistani official says

By Nina Giraldo
In this photo released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from left, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan walk prior to their meeting, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday.
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called a meeting of officials from four countries in the region “very productive” in a statement released after talks concluded today.

Foreign ministers from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan met in Islamabad, Pakistan, where they discussed regional issues and “possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region,” Dar wrote.

Dar also said Pakistan is prepared to host and facilitate talks between the US and Iran “in coming days,” saying both the countries gave their “full support” to potential negotiations.

Here are other key takeaways from the meeting, according to Dar:

- The group agreed the war is “not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction,” according to the statement. Unity of Muslim identity during the war was of “utmost importance,” he added.
- They expressed concern over the war’s “devastating impact on lives and livelihoods” across the Middle East.
- The foreign ministers agreed that dialogue and diplomacy were the “only viable pathway” to prevent conflict and promote regional peace.
- They talked about ways to strengthen unity among the four countries to de-escalate and “create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties.”

CNN’s Sophia Saifi and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

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## Israeli military says it is carrying out strikes on targets in Tehran

By Lauren Izso and Mohammed Tawfeeq

The Israeli military said Sunday it is currently carrying out strikes on targets belonging to the Iranian regime across the capital Tehran.

In a brief statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its forces are “currently striking Iranian terror regime targets across Tehran,” without providing immediate details on the specific locations or the scale of the operation.

There were no immediate comments from Iranian authorities regarding these strikes.

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## Iranian official says Tehran will decide war’s end

By Frederik Pleitgen and Mohammed Tawfeeq
A man sifts through rubble at the site of a building hit by a US-Israeli strike on a commercial district in Tehran on Sunday.
Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

A senior Iranian security official told CNN that Tehran will determine when the war ends and signaled Iran is prepared to sustain offensive operations for an extended period, pushing back on US assessments that the conflict could be wrapped up within weeks.

The official said earlier US estimates that the war would last only a few days were wrong, and dismissed as unrealistic a claim by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the fighting would continue for a few weeks.

“This is our war, and we will not stop defending until we teach ( US President Donald) Trump and (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu a historic lesson,” the official told CNN.

The official also said Iran’s missile and drone arsenal is prepared to support long-term operations, and claimed Iran is tightening its air defenses by updating deployment patterns, monitoring corridors used by fighter jets to enter Iranian airspace, and introducing new equipment — steps the official said would impose “harsher conditions” on Iran’s enemies.

Rubio told reporters in France ahead of the Group of Seven meeting on Friday that “When we are done with (the Iranian regime) here over the next couple of weeks, they will be weaker than they’ve been in recent history.”

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## US Central Command chief meets with IDF forces in Israel

By Tal Shalev and Alessandra Freitas

US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper met with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other top Israeli generals in Israel today, an Israeli source with knowledge of the meeting told CNN.

According to the sources, the meeting focused on the war against Iran and efforts to halt Iranian weapons production.

This comes a day after IDF spokesman Effie Defrin said Israel is a “few days” away from finishing a campaign targeting all of the “critical” assets of Iran’s military production industries.

CNN has reached out to the CENTCOM for comment.

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## Pakistan says it is prepared to host US-Iran talks "in coming days"

By Sophia Saifi and Mohammed Tawfeeq
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Pakistan says it is prepared to host US-Iran talks "in coming days"
00:24 • Source: CNN
Pakistan says it is prepared to host US-Iran talks "in coming days"
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Pakistan said it is prepared to host and facilitate talks between the US and Iran “in coming days,” after a four-nation meeting in the Pakistani capital with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt focused on de-escalation and ending the war in Middle East.

Trump administration officials are working to arrange a meeting in Pakistan to discuss an off-ramp to the war in Iran, two senior administration officials told CNN last week.

“Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a statement at the conclusion of the second round of consultations among the four countries in Islamabad on Sunday.

Foreign Ministers Badr Abdelatty of Egypt, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Ishaq Dar of Pakistan and Hakan Fidan of Turkey meet in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday to discuss regional de-escalation amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Muammer Tan/Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout/Reuters

Dar also said he briefed the visiting ministers on the prospects of potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad, adding that the Saudi, Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers expressed “full support” for the initiative.

He said both Iran and the United States “have all extended their full support and confidence in our efforts,” to facilitate the talks. CNN has reached out to the White House in Washington for comment.

Dar also said that he spoke by phone with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and UN Secretary-General António Guterres and they supported Pakistan’s initiative.

CNN’s Riane Lumer contributed to this report.

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## CNN team takes cover near Israel-Lebanon border

By CNN staff

A CNN crew was forced into a bunker mid-interview as sirens sounded near the Israel-Lebanon border. The incident underscores the volatility along the border area, where Israeli military operations have shifted the front line and displaced nearby Lebanese communities.

CNN’s Jim Sciutto explains how Israel’s expansion into Lebanon is playing out:

CNN team takes cover near Israel-Lebanon border

While reporting near Israel’s border with Lebanon, CNN’s Jim Sciutto and his crew were forced into a bunker as sirens sounded during an interview with local resident and security force volunteer Nissan Zeevi. No one on the team was hurt. The incident underscores the volatility along the border area, where Israeli military operations have shifted the front line and displaced nearby Lebanese communities.

01:59 • Source: CNN
CNN team takes cover near Israel-Lebanon border
01:59

Remember: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he ordered the expansion of Israel’s security buffer zone in southern Lebanon with the aim of repelling Lebanese cross-border attacks.

Israel has pushed further into southern Lebanon in recent weeks. Israeli forces are occupying the land south of the Litani River, an area it called on Lebanese civilians to evacuate. The Israeli military has blown up several bridges over the river – which bisects Lebanon – over the past days as part of a broader assault in the south.

CNN’s Lauren Izso and Sophie Tanno contributed to this report.

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## At least 49 killed in Lebanon in past 24 hours, health ministry says

By Catherine Nicholls
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Doctor talks about battle to save lives
04:38 • Source: CNN
Doctor talks about battle to save lives
04:38

At least 49 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, according to a daily death toll report released by the country’s health ministry a short while ago.

Thousands of people have been killed during the conflict in the Middle East since it began on February 28, according to a CNN tally of death tolls released by regional authorities.

Here’s what those authorities have said about the number of people reportedly killed in the region since the war began. CNN is not able to independently verify these numbers.

- Lebanon: At least 1,238 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since March 2, the country’s health ministry said in an update today. Yesterday, that figure was 1,189. At least 124 children are among those killed, the health ministry said.
- Iran: At least 1,900 people have been killed in attacks on Iran since February 28, the Iranian Red Crescent reported on Friday . On March 16, Iran’s foreign minister said “hundreds of Iranian civilians,” including more than 200 children, had been killed since the conflict began.
- Iraq: At least 101 people have been killed across Iraq since the war began, authorities have said. In the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, at least 13 people have been killed, according to the regional government.
- Israel: Some 19 civilians have been killed inside Israel since the conflict began, not including those who died indirectly because of strikes. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed in southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli military.
- USA: Thirteen US service members have been killed since the US war with Iran began a month ago, according to the US Central Command.

Dozens of people have also been killed in other countries in the region since the conflict began. Deaths due to the conflict have been reported in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, the occupied West Bank, Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia since February 28, according to local authorities.

CNN’s Issy Ronald, Charbel Mallo, Aqeel Najim, Nechirvan Mando, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Dana Karni, Eugenia Yosef, Oren Liebermann, Tal Shalev, Tamar Michaelis, and Zachary Cohen contributed to this reporting.

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## Foreign ministers finish talks as war continues to expand. Catch up on the latest

By Nina Giraldo

A meeting between foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan ended today and a joint statement is expected to be released soon . We’ll keep you updated on further developments.

The meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, which did not include the United States and Iran, aimed to find ways to avoid further expansion of the war across the Middle East.

Here’s other news from the last couple hours:

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the expansion of Israel’s security buffer zone in southern Lebanon with the aim of repelling Lebanese cross-border attacks.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it will target US and Israeli-affiliated universities in the Middle East in retaliation for recent attacks on Iranian higher education centers.
- Thirty-four fire crews worked for hours to extinguish a huge blaze that broke out in an industrial site in central Israel when it was struck by “a weapon fragment or interceptor fragment.”
- A senior United Arab Emirates official called for compensation from Iran for damage caused to the country from Tehran’s strikes.
- A personal message from Iran’s supreme leader was delivered to the head of a major Iraqi Shiite political party, according to Iran’s Jamaran news agency, although the contents of the message are unclear.

CNN’s Sophia Saifi, Issy Ronald, Ivan Watson, Lauren Izso, Sophie Tanno, Catherine Nicholls and Eugenia Yosef contributed to this report.

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## US universities in Middle East move online as Iran threatens retaliation against campuses

By Catherine Nicholls

Earlier today, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it will target American and Israeli-affiliated universities in the Middle East in retaliation for recent attacks on Iranian higher education centers.

Today, the president of the American University of Beirut said in a letter that, because of the IRGC threat, the university will be operating fully remotely tomorrow and Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution.”

In an update on its website , the Lebanese American University in Beirut also said that it will switch to “fully online operations” tomorrow and Tuesday “as a precaution given the broad threats to educational institutions in the region.”

Many universities in the region had already switched to online learning when the Iran war first broke out more than a month ago.

The Qatari education ministry announced on February 28, the day the war began, that all kindergartens, schools, educational centers, and universities across the country would shift to distance learning until further notice, according to the Qatar News Agency.

Georgetown University in Qatar , Texas A&M University at Qatar and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar have all announced that their teaching will take place online until further notice.

The American University of Kuwait, the American University in Dubai, and the American University of Ras Al Khaimah also all announced their shift to online learning earlier this month.

CNN’s Charbel Mallo and Dalia Abdelwahab contributed to this reporting.

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## In pictures: Day 30 of the expanding Middle East conflict

By CNN's Digital Photo Team
Mourners carry the body of a journalist, who was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon the previous day, during a funeral Sunday in the Choueifat area on the outskirts of Beirut.
ibrahim Amro/AFP/Getty Images

The Israeli military is days away from striking all targets in Iran it considers a “top priority,” an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said today.

Meanwhile, Iran’s internet blackout has entered its 30th day, with civilians cut off for at least 696 hours, according to internet watchdog NetBlocks.

And following widespread backlash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has asked “relevant authorities” early Monday to allow Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch, to enter Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday , and “hold services as he wishes.”

Catholic leaders in Jerusalem had been barred from the church on Palm Sunday, according to church leaders.

Here are more photos from across the region as we track the latest developments:

Carrying their belongings, women cross the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran and Iraq on Sunday.
Leo Correa/AP
People take shelter in an underground parking garage in Tel Aviv as air raid sirens warn of incoming missiles launched by Iran on Sunday.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
Altar servers start the Palm Sunday Mass Procession, commemorating Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem.
John Wessels/AFP/Getty Images
A man sifts through rubble at the site of a building hit by a US-Israeli strike on a commercial district on Sunday in Tehran.
Majid Saeedi/Getty Images
Smoke rises following an Iranian missile strike in southern Israel on Sunday.
Amir Cohen/Reuters

This post has been updated.

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## Netanyahu orders expansion of Israeli buffer zone in southern Lebanon

By Lauren Izso, Sophie Tanno
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Netanyahu orders expansion of Israeli buffer zone in southern Lebanon
00:30 • Source: CNN
Netanyahu orders expansion of Israeli buffer zone in southern Lebanon
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has ordered the expansion of Israel’s security buffer zone in southern Lebanon with the aim of repelling Lebanese cross-border attacks.

“In Lebanon, I have now instructed to further expand the existing security belt, in order to finally thwart the threat of invasion and to keep the anti-tank missile fire away from our border,” he said in a video statement from the Israeli military’s Northern Command.

In recent weeks, Israel has pushed further into southern Lebanon. Israeli forces are occupying the land south of the Litani River, an area it has called on Lebanese civilians to evacuate.

The Israeli military has blown up several bridges over the river – which bisects Lebanon – over the past days, as part of a broader assault in the south.

Smoke rises after an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in southern Lebanon, on Saturday.
Stringer/Reuters

On Friday, human rights workers warned Israeli forces’ demolition of crossings through the river will cut off tens of thousands of residents in southern Lebanon from “essential lifelines,” as the rate of killings, destruction and displacement across the country spiraled.

Also during the video statement, Netanyahu said Israel is striking at Iran and its proxies “with tremendous force.”

“We are bringing about tremendous achievements, achievements that are creating visible cracks in the terrorist regime in Tehran,” he said.

CNN’s Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.

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## Iran's supreme leader delivers message to Iraqi Shiite party leader

By Sophie Tanno

A personal message from Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was delivered to the head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), a major Iraqi Shiite political party established in Iran in 1982, according to Iran’s Jamaran news agency.

The message was handed to the party’s head, Sheikh Hammam Hamoudi, by the Iranian ambassador to Iraq during a meeting.

The contents of the supreme leader’s message are unclear, but Jamaran reported that the ambassador praised Iraq’s Shiite religious authority for its stance on the US-Israeli war as well as Hamoudi’s “sincere positions.”

Khamenei has remained elusive and has not appeared in public since his father and former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was assassinated last month in joint US-Israeli strikes. Only written statements have been issued in his name.

Earlier this month, a source familiar with the situation told CNN that he had suffered a fractured foot and other minor injuries on the first day of the US-Israeli bombardment campaign. In addition to his injured foot, Khamenei, 56, received a bruise around his left eye, as well as minor lacerations to his face, the source said.

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## Meeting of foreign ministers from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan wraps in Islamabad

By Sophia Saifi
In this photo released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from left, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan walk prior to their meeting, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday.
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP

The quadrilateral meeting attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, held in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad has ended a day earlier and a joint statement is expected.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan after the quad meeting had concluded. In the meeting the Prime Minister “appreciated the remarkable restraint exercised by Saudi Arabia amid the current crisis,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. Sharif also “assured” the Saudi Foreign Minister that “Pakistan would always stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia.”

The nuclear armed south Asian nation signed a defense treaty with Saudi Arabia last year, and while Pakistan has been playing the role of peacemaker between the United States and Iran, there have been concerns that it could be dragged into the conflict in the Middle East if Saudi Arabia decides to enter the war against Iran.

The Saudi foreign minister shared “the latest Saudi perspective on the regional situation” and both countries agreed to “continue to coordinate their positions closely in order to secure peace and stability in the region.”

The meeting was attended by the by Pakistani Foreign Minister Sen. Mohammad Ishaq Dar as well as the national security adviser and Pakistan’s intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik. CNN had reported earlier that Malik is one of the Pakistani officials engaging with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to mediate the situation in Iran.

The foreign minister of Turkey, Hakan Fidan and the foreign minister of Egypt, Dr. Badr Abdelatty also had meetings with the Pakistani prime minister.

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