Politics New attacks in the Iran war - efforts to de-escalate
Four weeks after the start of the war, Israel and Iran are continuing their fierce attacks on each other. The Iranian news agency Fars reported that rockets had hit a residential area south of Tehran, killing ten people. The Israeli military confirmed attacks in the Iranian capital and other areas in the country. The target was infrastructure belonging to the Iranian power apparatus, including production sites for missiles and drones, it said.
29.03.2026, 17:33
29.03.2026, 22:11
SDA
The US-based human rights network HRANA wrote that the attacks on Iran in recent days were the strongest since the start of the war.
Huthi join the war
Meanwhile, Iran continued its missile attacks on Israel. According to media reports, one attack targeted the desert town of Dimona, which is located near the Israeli nuclear reactor. Dozens of people were injured and a residential area in the town was devastated in an attack a week ago. There were also rocket alerts in the greater Tel Aviv area and in Jerusalem. In addition to rockets from Iran, missiles from Lebanon also flew into Israel's north.
In addition, the Houthi militia in Yemen attacked Israel twice within a short space of time after joining the war alongside Tehran on Saturday - with a total of three missiles and a drone.
Pakistan seeks de-escalation
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey came to Islamabad for two days of talks at Pakistan's invitation. On Sunday, they discussed a possible de-escalation of the war. Pakistan shares a border of around 900 kilometers with Iran and has offered itself as a mediator for a possible end to the war since it spread to the Gulf states.
The foreign ministers were also due to meet Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In a telephone conversation with Iran's President Massud Peseshkian, the latter had reiterated "Pakistan's strong condemnation of Israel's ongoing attacks on Iran". He also informed him of Pakistan's efforts to facilitate a dialog and de-escalation with the USA, friendly Gulf states and other Islamic countries. Islamabad is exchanging messages between the USA and Iran.
Talks in Islamabad soon?
Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, said on Sunday evening after the foreign ministers' meeting: "Pakistan will be honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days to reach a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict."
He said Pakistan was very pleased that both Iran and the US had expressed their confidence in Pakistan as a mediator in these talks. China also fully supported Pakistan's initiative to organize talks between Iran and the US, it added.
According to German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, preparations are underway for a direct meeting between representatives of the USA and Iran. Speaking on Deutschlandfunk radio, Wadephul also named Pakistan as a possible venue for the talks. He spoke of "the first signs of hope and confidence".
Iran allows Pakistani ships through Strait of Hormuz
Iran has eased its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for energy supplies, for Pakistani ships. The move was seen by observers as a confidence-building measure as part of mediation efforts to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East. Since the beginning of the Israeli and US attacks on the country four weeks ago, Iran has been blocking the strait, through which large parts of the oil and gas transportation run. The prices for these energy sources have risen sharply as a result.
More US Marines in the Middle East - plans for ground offensive
The arrival of additional US Marines with the amphibious assault ship "USS Tripoli" in the Middle East had fueled speculation about a ground operation in the near future. Following the latest G7 talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the country's own war aims could be achieved without ground troops. However, he did not want to categorically rule out their use.
According to US media reports, the US military has already prepared plans for a possible deployment on the ground. It would involve a combination of regular infantry troops and special forces, but not a full-scale invasion, as the Washington Post reported, citing US officials. Several weeks would therefore be planned for such a deployment. It was unclear whether US President Donald Trump intends to approve the plans.
According to a spokesperson, the Israeli military wants to have largely destroyed Iranian weapons production "in a few days". The armed forces would "complete the attacks on all major components of the (Iranian) military industry" in this period, army spokesman Effie Defrin said on Saturday evening. "This means that we will have destroyed most of the military production capacity."
Renewed attacks on Gulf states
Meanwhile, Iranian counter-attacks are also continuing in other countries in the region. Several Gulf states again reported damage, including after attacks on a metal plant in Abu Dhabi, in which, according to official reports, several people were injured. Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia also reported new attacks. In Kuwait, according to official information, some of them targeted the area around the international airport and caused considerable damage to the radar system.
