By Tyler Durden
Summary
- According to reports, the Pentagon has been preparing ground operations for weeks as the first Marines arrive in the region (WaPo).
- Foreign ministers from countries in the region seeking peace and a way out will meet in Pakistan on Sunday.
- Following attacks on two Iranian university campuses, the IRGC warns of attacks on American university campuses in the Middle East.
- Not just “damaged”, but completely destroyed: Pictures show the destroyed US AWACS jet at a Saudi airbase.
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Ground operations lasting “weeks” are being prepared: WaPo
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who many believe de facto rules the country during wartime, has stated that the United States is busy planning a ground attack, despite publicly making diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire.
Recent reports in The Washington Post suggest he might be right: “The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, U.S. officials said, as thousands of American soldiers and Marines arrive in the Middle East—for a potentially dangerous new phase of the war should President Donald Trump decide to escalate,” the report from Saturday evening stated. The Washington Post further reports that the plans have been in development for at least weeks, writing: “Any potential ground operation would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could instead involve raids by a mix of special forces and conventional infantry troops, the officials said. All spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss highly sensitive military plans that have been in development for weeks.”
It should be clear to everyone what an extremely risky undertaking this would be, and the geographical circumstances certainly do not favor the US military. The report continues: “Such a mission could expose US personnel to a variety of threats, including Iranian drones and missiles, ground-based attacks, and improvised explosive devices. As of Saturday, it was unclear whether Trump would approve all, some, or none of the Pentagon’s plans.”
Searching for a way out: Summit meeting in Islamabad
Several countries in the region are meeting in Islamabad to find a path to a ceasefire and peace. The four foreign ministers, representing Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, began their consultations on Sunday.
The Pakistani government announced over the weekend that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is working to create a “favorable environment” for peace negotiations and direct talks between Tehran and Washington, now that the war has lasted a month. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is being kept informed of developments as part of his communication with Pakistan. Are there any signs of progress?
Iran has agreed to allow 20 ships flying the Pakistani flag to pass unharmed through the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Saturday.
Translation of “X”: Oil tanker transporting Saudi crude oil to Pakistan.
Pezeshkian told Prime Minister Sharif in a telephone call on Saturday that “attacks on infrastructure and assassinations by the aggressors show that they cannot be trusted.”
Regarding Sunday’s summit in Pakistan, the question arises: Where are the US negotiators? A few days ago, there were rumors that Vice President JD Vance, or perhaps Witkoff or Kushner, might be in Pakistan working behind the scenes, but it is unclear what Washington’s current diplomatic stance is.
Translation of “X”: Consultations between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt began on March 29, 2026, in Islamabad. At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, the foreign ministers will discuss the evolving situation in the region and address issues of common interest during the consultations.
Attacks on universities and infrastructure
In the last 48 hours, the Iranian University of Science and Technology in the northeast of the capital was the target of new attacks by the US and Israel. Buildings were severely damaged, but there are no reports of casualties.
Israel has made it clear that it is targeting a range of objectives, including civilian infrastructure in Iran. Iran retaliated over the weekend, firing more missiles at Israel. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is now warning that American university campuses in the Middle East are fair game. The statement said this is because two Iranian universities were attacked. The IRGC declared that American universities are now “legitimate targets” unless the US officially condemns the attacks on Iranian institutions by noon on Monday, according to Fars.
Escalation of retaliatory attacks on infrastructure:
Translation of “X”: BREAKING NEWS: An Iranian missile has just struck Israel’s important Rotem chemical plant. The plant produces sapphire domes for defense missiles and also supports Israel’s nuclear weapons program.
The IRGC has even gone so far as to issue a statement urging staff, faculty, and students to leave these campuses and stay away from them. Among the prominent American university branches in the Gulf (out of dozens) are Texas A&M University in Qatar and New York University in the United Arab Emirates.
Not just “damaged,” but completely destroyed: Images of a US AWACS jet at a Saudi airbase
Images have surfaced showing that the Wall Street Journal ‘s initial report that the $500 million aircraft was merely “damaged” was a massive understatement. A large portion of the fuselage is destroyed, as is the distinctive 9-meter-diameter, 1.8-meter-thick rotating radar dome mounted on AWACS aircraft. We’ve taken a closer look at the photo series here.
The images of the destroyed E-3 Sentry were first published on the Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco:
“The loss of this E-3 is incredibly problematic, considering how crucial these operations commanders are to everything from airspace coordination and aircraft management to target acquisition and the provision of other resources needed by the entire force in the area of operations,” Heather Penney, a former F-16 pilot and director of studies and research at the AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Air & Space Forces Magazine. If this has been carefully kept under wraps, what else are the White House and the Pentagon hiding from the public?
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