The US-Israeli war against Iran escalated over the weekend with a string of attacks on civilian infrastructure, even as regional diplomats held talks in a bid to de-escalate the conflict.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one of Iran’s top wartime leaders, on Sunday accused the US of using diplomatic efforts as cover to prepare for ground operations in the Islamic republic, while warning that “our men are waiting”.
He issued the statement as the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia met in Islamabad to discuss options to convince the US and Iran to accept a deal to end the war. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said Islamabad was working to bring “both the US and Iran to the negotiating table”.