The Latest: Regional powers meet in Pakistan as Iran warns US against ground invasion

The war has threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas, sparked fertilizer shortages and disrupted air travel. Iran’s grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz has shaken markets and prices.

The Houthis’ entry could further hurt global shipping if they again target vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade typically passes.

Here is the latest:

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy arrives in Jordan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Jordan Sunday, part of his tour of Gulf Arab states as Kyiv continues to offer its drone expertise to help governments blunt Iranian attacks during the war in the Middle East.

“Security is the top priority, and it is important that all partners make the necessary efforts toward it. Ukraine is doing its part. Important meetings ahead,” Zelenskyy wrote on his social media channels, alongside a video that showed him arriving by air.

Jordan’s state news agency reported that Zelenskyy would meet with King Abdullah II for talks on regional developments and bilateral relations.

Hundreds gather in central Istanbul for protest against US and Israel

Nearly a thousand people gathered in central Istanbul Sunday afternoon despite heavy rains to protest the ongoing conflicts in Iran, Lebanon and Palestine.

Organized by several religious conservative NGOs, the rally featured slogans like, “Resist, Gaza will prevail” and “Muslims don’t bow to oppression,” as well as signs saying, “Killer Israel, Killer United States” and criticizing the Israeli closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“We are here for all the oppressed in the world. Lebanon, Iran, Palestine, yesterday it was Venezuela, tomorrow it will probably be Cuba, we are here for all of them,” protester Mehmet Yilmaz told The Associated Press.

“When Iran launches a missile, despite claiming no one can hurt them with their Iron Dome, they (Israelis) all scurry into their holes like mice the second the sirens blare,” Ekrem Saylan told AP. “What do the Iranians do? They take to the streets. This is about belief, faith. If they (Israelis) had faith they wouldn’t be afraid of death.”

Christians celebrate Palm Sunday in Gaza

Dozens of Christian faithful gathered Sunday in the Holy Family Church in Gaza to celebrate Palm Sunday, marking the first time for the sacred celebration in the war-torn territory where a fragile ceasefire was reached in October.

“Many of our Christian relatives are missing this year. We lost 6% of our Latin and Greek Orthodox Christians in the war, and this is a great loss, a very great sorrow,” said the Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Catholic community based at Holy Family Church in Gaza.

While weapons have largely fallen silent in Gaza, Christians are celebrating among near-daily Israeli strikes and heightened regional tension. Inside the church, altar servers waved branches and fronds, and the Palestinians attended the mass in silence and reverence.

“We pray for the people of Jerusalem, for all of Palestine, and for the entire region, that God Almighty may grant peace, justice, and reconciliation to all the peoples of the region,” Romanelli said.

Pakistan’s prime minister pledges support to Saudi Arabia amid regional tensions

Pakistan’s prime minister on Sunday pledged continued support for Saudi Arabia during talks with the kingdom’s foreign minister, as both countries discussed regional stability and efforts to end ongoing conflict.

Shehbaz Sharif renewed Pakistan’s support to the kingdom during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who is visiting Islamabad to attend a meeting of top diplomats from Islamic countries to discuss how to end the Iran war.

According to statement from Sharif’s office, Sharif “appreciated the remarkable restraint exercised by Saudi Arabia amid the current crisis” and said Pakistan would “always stand shoulder to shoulder” with the kingdom.

Sharif briefed the Saudi foreign minister on Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts aimed at helping end the war in the region.

Firefighters battling fire at factory from missile fragment in southern Israel

A missile fragment that fell on a factory outside of the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Sunday set a pesticide tank on fire, according to Israel’s Fire and Rescue, sending black plumes of smoke and billowing flames high into the air.

Fire and Rescue services said there were no injuries from the fire and no danger to the public, but evacuated people nearby as a precaution as multiple crews attempted to get the fire under control.

Iranians crossing into Iraq urge US to stop war, citing worsening living conditions and fear

Iranians crossing into southern Iraq on Sunday urged the United States to end the war, describing relentless airstrikes, rising prices and worsening living conditions, but insisting they would not leave their country.

“A message to America: Stop the war,” said Atef al-Fatlawi, 30, who arrived from Ahvaz with her husband and young son. She said daily life had deteriorated sharply, with insecurity replacing what she described as previous stability. The family crossed into Iraq via the Shalamcha crossing in Basra.

Al-Fatlawi crossed into Iraq to buy groceries, including rice, which is now cheaper than in Iran due to soaring costs. She said an explosion near her home shattered windows and frightened her child.

“There is fear. My son is scared, so we brought him with us,” she said.

Others made brief trips for basic needs. Fatima Ghaffari, 39, said she crossed the border mainly to access the internet before returning to her home in Abadan. “It’s scary, so scary,” she said of daily life in Ahvaz.

Italy demands clarity from Israel over Palm Sunday incident in Jerusalem

Italy formally protested to Israel on Sunday after Jerusalem police prevented top Catholic officials from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani instructed Italy’s ambassador to Israel to convey the protest “and to reaffirm Italy’s commitment to protecting religious freedom at all times and under all circumstances.”

Tajani also summoned the Israeli ambassador to Italy for talks Monday at the foreign ministry to seek clarification for the decision.

“It is unacceptable that they were prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem,” Tajani said in a statement posted on X. “For the first time, Israeli police denied the leaders of the Catholic Church the opportunity to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass in one of the holiest sites for millions of faithful around the world.”

Earlier, Premier Giorgia Meloni condemned the incident as an “offense” to believers.

Iranians cross into southern Iraq for cheaper groceries and internet, hours after air strike disrupts commercial trade

Iranians crossed into Iraq via the Shalamcha border on Sunday, hours after an airstrike hit near the Iranian side, cutting power and halting trade for several hours, said Haider Abdul Samad, the crossing’s deputy director.

The strike occurred around 3 a.m. and was not the first since the war began, he said, without providing details on casualties or the strike. Electricity was restored and trade resumed by mid-morning, but Abdul Samad said such disruptions have become routine amid the ongoing war.

Cross-border movement has significantly declined, though dozens of Iranians continue to enter Iraq seeking cheaper goods, internet access and brief family visits before returning to nearby cities such as Abadan and Ahvaz.

Many described the U.S. and Israeli strikes as relentless and frightening but said they would not leave.

“There is no reassurance. We don’t know when our homes could be targeted,” said Razzak Saghir Al-Mousawi, 71, who entered Iraq from Iran on Sunday.

“I am definitely afraid,” he added.

Pakistan’s mediation efforts gaining credible regional backing - analyst

Asif Durrani, a senior defense analyst in Pakistan, said his country’s mediation efforts are gaining credible regional backing, pointing to the presence of foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the capital.

“Dialogue, not pressure, is the only path to durable peace and stability,” he said.

Durrani said Tehran’s overnight decision to allow 20 additional Pakistani-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz reflects its trust in Pakistan and confidence in its mediatory role.

“It also sends a clear signal that Iran remains open for business with the world, provided the United States abandons coercion,” he said, adding that any meaningful progress in the peace process would require Washington to demonstrate “sincerity” in the proposed negotiations being facilitated by Pakistan.

Talks open in Pakistan on Middle East war

Foreign ministers from key regional powers are meeting in Pakistan’s capital to discuss ways to end the fighting in the Middle East, officials said.

State-run Pakistan Television showed Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar receiving Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty, Turkey’s Hakan Fidan and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan at the Foreign Ministry ahead of Sunday’s meeting.

The talks will review progress in the ongoing indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran and explore ways to advance diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, officials said.

Sunday’s meeting comes a day after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and held what officials described as “extensive discussions” on the evolving regional situation.

UAE reports fresh missile and drone attacks

The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems are responding to more missile and drone attacks.

Its defense ministry said that sounds heard across the country on Sunday were from interception efforts.

The UAE faced attacks from 16 missiles and 42 drones in the past 24 hours, according to the ministry.

Saudi FM arrives in Pakistan for talks on Mideast war

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to attend a meeting of diplomats from Islamic countries focused on ongoing efforts to end war in the Middle East.

According to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the two sides will hold talks on the evolving regional situation.

Prince Faisal is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other Pakistani officials during his visit.

UAE adviser says Iran is ‘main threat’ to Gulf countries

An adviser to the United Arab Emirates has called for any settlement to the war in the Middle East to include “clear guarantees” that Iranian attacks on its neighbors won’t be repeated.

In a social media post, Anwar Gargash said the Iranian government has become “the main threat” to the Persian Gulf security.

He called for compensation for attacking civilian and vital infrastructure

Pope rejects claims that God justifies war

Pope Leo XIV has rejected claims that God justifies war and offered prayers for Christians in the Middle East during a Palm Sunday Mass.

Leo dedicated his Palm Sunday homily in St. Peter’s Square to insist that God is the “king of peace” who rejects violence and comforts those who are oppressed.

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”

He said he was praying for Christians “suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict. In many cases, they cannot live fully the rites of these holy days.”

Catholic leaders barred from Jerusalem’s Church of Holy Sepulchre

The Latin Patriarchate said Jerusalem police prevented the Catholic church’s senior leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for the Palm Sunday mass.

It was “the first time in centuries” that Church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, the Patriarchate said.

“Preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” the Latin Patriarchate said.

The Jerusalem police did not comment.

Iran’s parliament speaker warns US against a ground invasion

Iran’s parliament speaker on Sunday warned the U.S. against a ground invasion, threatening to set the American troops “on fire” and step up attacks on US allies, according to Iranian official media.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iranian forces “are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever.”

He added: “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased.”

He described the U.S.’s 15-point plan which Pakistan passed to Iran last week as “their wishes” and said the Trump administration is attempting to do through the plan what it has failed to achieve by force.

“As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, our response is clear: Far be it from us to accept humiliation,” he said.

Economic ramifications ‘are going to be long-lived’

U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have driven up prices, darkened the outlook for the world economy, sent global stock markets reeling and forced developing countries to ration fuel and subsidize energy costs to protect their poorest.

Ongoing strikes and counterstrikes on Persian Gulf refineries, pipelines, gas fields and tanker terminals threaten to the prolong the global economic pain for months, even years.

“A week ago or certainly two weeks ago, I would have said: If the war stopped that day, the long-term implications would be pretty small,’’ said Christopher Knittel, an energy economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “But what we’re seeing is infrastructure actually being destroyed, which means the ramifications of this war are going to be long-lived.’’

Israel’s military warns more targets ahead

Israel and the U.S. are “working in very close coordination” to respond after Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they had launched missiles toward Israeli targets, Israeli military spokesperson Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters on Sunday.

He declined to provide details on operations against the Iran-backed group, which controls parts of Yemen, but said Israel had grown accustomed to confronting repeated attacks from the Houthis, who have for more than two years launched missiles and drones toward Israel and shipping targets in the Red Sea.

He also said Israeli military statements about nearing completion of top-priority strikes did not mean it was running out of overall targets.

“There are many more groups of targets and there are also many more targets when it comes to (ballistic missile) production,” he said.

Funerals held for three journalists killed in Israeli strike

Mourners gathered on Sunday in Choueifat, south of Beirut, for the funerals of three journalists killed by an Israeli airstrike.

Ali Shoeib, a correspondent with Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV, Fatima Ftouni, a reporter with the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV, and her brother Mohammed, a cameraman with the station, were killed in a strike on their car while covering the Israel-Hezbollah war in southern Lebanon on Saturday.

Israel’s military said it had targeted Shoeib, accusing him of being a Hezbollah intelligence operative, without providing evidence. Lebanese officials have condemned the strike as a war crime.

Mourners chanted, “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” as the bodies were buried in an empty lot converted into a temporary graveyard during the war.

“It’s not the first time our colleagues are killed,” said Mohammad Ali Badreddine, an SNG engineer with al-Mayadeen. “It’s a big loss... they were among the brightest and most professional people and also among the kindest people.”

Qatari TV station says Rehran office hit by missile

Al Araby Television Network said an Israeli missile hit its office building in Iran’s capital, Tehran, forcing its live broadcast to stop, and left “extensive damage” to the office.

In a video posted on the channel’s social media accounts, one of its reporters showed the damage to the office. Equipment, furniture, and debris could be seen scattered on the ground.

Rubble and damaged vehicles down the street could be seen in the video.

Saudi Arabia says 10 drones intercepted

The Defense Ministry said it intercepted and destroyed 10 drones attacking the oil-rich country Sunday morning.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister meets Pakistani counterpart

Hakan Fidan met Sunday with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, with both sides calling for dialogue and diplomacy to ease tensions in the Middle East.

According to a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides emphasized the need for de-escalation, diplomatic engagement and closer coordination to promote peace and stability in the region.

Kuwait says four drones intercepted

Kuwait says air defense systems intercepted four drones attacking the oil-rich country Sunday morning.

Radar systems at the Kuwait International Airport were damaged in a strike Saturday.

Israel says Iran has launched missiles

The Israeli military says residents in “relevant areas” have received warnings and air defenses are working to intercept the incoming fire.

Israel says it has completed a new wave of attacks on Iran

The Israeli military says it struck targets in Tehran and other parts of the country.

Egypt's foreign minister meets counterpart in Islamabad ahead of talks

Egypt’s top diplomat met Pakistan’s foreign minister in Islamabad Sunday to discuss efforts to help bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table and ease tensions in the region, officials said.

Ishaq Dar and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty will hold bilateral talks on regional developments, according to a statement by Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said that the meeting will discuss “the developments of the military escalation … and de-escalation efforts in the region."

During a stop in Qatar Saturday, Abdelatty said their efforts aim to establish a “direct dialogue” between the United States and Iran.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Pakistan late Saturday. Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat is expected in Islamabad Sunday.

Tehran threatens to target Israeli and American educational facilities unless US condemns Iranian universities’ bombings

The Revolutionary Guard’s warning on Sunday said it would consider Israeli universities and branches of American universities in the region “legitimate targets,” state media reported.

“If the U.S. government wants its universities in the region spared, it should condemn the bombardment of (Iranian) universities by 12 o’clock Monday, March 30, in an official statement,” the Guard said in a statement, urging the evacuations of American and Israeli educational facilities and telling students and staff to stay at least one kilometer (0.6 miles) away.

The Guard also demanded the United States stop Israel from striking Iranian universities and research centers, which have been attacked in recent days. Israel’s military has acknowledged striking Iranian universities it says are connected to weapons development.

This is the first time Iran has threatened to strike Israeli and American universities.

Relative says fallen Israeli soldier was a happy young man

The Israeli military identified the dead soldier as Sgt. Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen Katz, originally from New Haven, Connecticut.

Rabbi Yehoshua Hecht, a relative in Connecticut, spoke to Israel’s Army Radio station, describing his great nephew as a “very special young man” who was religious, a good student and “enjoyed every moment of life.”

Katz was killed in combat in southern Lebanon as Israel expands an invasion there.

Israeli soldier killed in south Lebanon

Israel’s military said early Sunday that a soldier had been killed while three others were wounded in combat in southern Lebanon.

This brings the total to five Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah reignited after the militant group fired rockets into Israel on March 2.

6 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza

Two Israeli strikes early Sunday killed six Palestinians, including three police officers, in the Gaza Strip, hospital authorities said.

One strike hit a police checkpoint while another hit a group of people in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Nasser hospital, which received the bodies.

The Israeli military didn’t immediately comment on the strikes.

The people killed were the latest fatalities among Palestinians in the coastal enclave since an October ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Explosions rock Irbil as attacks target US sites

Interceptions and drone activity were heard for hours overnight Saturday across Irbil, the capital of the semiautonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, including drones shot down while attempting to target the U.S. consulate and nearby bases.

AP journalists in the area reported nonstop loud explosions and saw at least one drone headed toward American facilities, in one of the most intense days of attacks since the war began.

Iran-aligned militias in Iraq have stepped up repeated drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases, including in Irbil.

In a statement on Saturday, the U.S. condemned what it called “despicable terrorist attacks” by Iran’s militant groups, saying the strikes on Kurdish regional President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence in Irbil earlier that day were “a direct assault on Iraq’s sovereignty, stability and unity.” The attack caused material damage but no casualties, and the residence was empty at the time.