War Enters Day 30: Diplomatic Push in Islamabad as Pentagon Eyes Ground Operations, Houthis Threaten Bab al-Mandab
Tehran Under Fresh Bombardment
The morning opened with multiple waves of Israeli airstrikes on the Iranian capital. The Israel Defense Forces announced the completion of "another wave" of strikes targeting temporary Iranian command centres, ballistic missile production and storage facilities, aerial defence systems, and weapons manufacturing sites across Tehran. The IDF noted that Iran had relocated some command infrastructure to mobile units following earlier strikes, several of which were also destroyed. Iranian state media reported loud explosions heard across western and northern Tehran from the early hours of the day, with smoke rising over impacted areas. Five people were killed and four wounded in a separate US-Israeli strike on a quay at Bandar Khamir, a port city in Hormozgan province near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the official IRNA news agency.
A particularly significant strike targeted the Tehran bureau of the Qatari television channel Al Araby, which reported "extensive damage" to its building and the suspension of live broadcasts.
Ghalibaf: Washington Speaks Peace, Plans War
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a pointed statement marking the thirtieth day of the war, accusing Washington of duplicity. "The enemy openly sends a message of negotiation and secretly plans a ground attack," Ghalibaf wrote in a message carried by the Tasnim news agency, adding that "the United States expresses its desires with a list of 15 points and pursues what it did not achieve in the war." He warned that Iranian forces were ready for the arrival of US ground troops.
Ghalibaf's remarks came hours after the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon was drawing up plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran — potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz — though President Trump has not yet approved any deployment. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, aboard the USS Tripoli, has arrived in the region with approximately 3,500 sailors and marines, alongside units from the 82nd Airborne reportedly being repositioned for rapid deployment.
Two additional B-52 bombers also landed at RAF Fairford in England on Sunday, bringing the total number of strategic bombers at the base to 23, according to Sky News Arabia.
Bahrain Intercepts 174 Missiles and 391 Drones
Gulf states continued to absorb Iranian retaliatory strikes. Bahrain's defence force announced it had intercepted 174 missiles and 391 drones since the start of hostilities. Saudi Arabia said it downed ten drones overnight. Kuwait activated its air defences against incoming missiles and drones, while the UAE confirmed it had intercepted ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones targeting the country, with explosions heard in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for strikes on the Emirates Global Aluminium facility in Abu Dhabi and the Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) plant — one of the world's largest aluminium producers — in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks on Iranian industrial infrastructure. Alba confirmed two employees sustained minor injuries. Analysts noted that the region accounts for between four and nine percent of global aluminium supply, raising concerns about further disruption to international commodity markets.
Separately, Oman's foreign ministry condemned attacks on its territory — including a drone strike on the port of Salalah that wounded a foreign worker — stating that no party had yet claimed responsibility and that investigations were underway. Iran's IRGC had previously stated it targeted a US military support vessel near Salalah, while simultaneously affirming respect for Omani sovereignty.
Houthis Threaten Bab al-Mandab
In what analysts described as a significant escalation signal, Yemen's Houthi Information Minister Mohammed Mansour stated that closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait — the southern gateway to the Red Sea — remained "one of the options" available to the movement. The statement came after the Houthis launched their second wave of attacks on Israel since entering the conflict on Saturday, targeting military sites with barrages of cruise missiles and drones. Former US diplomat Nabeel Khoury characterised the Houthi strikes as "token participation, not full participation," suggesting they served primarily as a warning. However, he warned that a full blockade of Bab al-Mandab would bring commercial shipping to a halt and trigger immediate US counter-strikes on Yemen.
Islamabad Mediation: Diplomacy Without the Belligerents
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia gathered in Islamabad on Sunday in a regionally-coordinated effort to de-escalate the conflict. Pakistan has been acting as an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran, passing messages between the two sides. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirming Islamabad's commitment to peace efforts. Tehran's government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that Iran was "willing to move towards a sustainable peace" but insisted that compensation, lifting of sanctions and control over the Strait of Hormuz must be among the core issues addressed in any talks.
Observers cautioned that the Islamabad meeting included none of the warring parties, limiting its immediate leverage.
Humanitarian and Regional Toll
A joint report by Human Rights Activists in Iran, Airwars and the Center for Civilians in Conflict, covering the period 28 February to 23 March, documented at least 1,443 civilian deaths, including at least 217 children, from US and Israeli airstrikes in Iran — figures described as verified minimums expected to rise. The report found that 37 percent of confirmed attacks took place in Tehran's urban environments, with verified damage to 60 hospitals or medical centres, 44 schools, and 129 residential buildings, and approximately 3.2 million people displaced according to UN figures.
Iran's internet blackout entered its thirtieth consecutive day, with access reduced to approximately one percent of normal levels according to the monitoring group NetBlocks.
In Lebanon, three journalists — Ali Shoeib of al-Manar and Fatima and Mohammed Ftouni of al-Mayadeen — were killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on their vehicle near Jezzine, prompting condemnation from Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi and the Lebanese presidency. The World Health Organisation's Director General separately called for an end to attacks on medical personnel after nine paramedics were killed in southern Lebanon on Saturday.
Illustration: Perplexity