Pakistan hosts diplomatic discussions on ending war

## Summary
Pakistan hosts diplomatic discussions on ending war March 29, 2026 6:08 AM ET By NPR Staff In this photo released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, center, walks toward his car upon arrival to attend a meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP hide caption toggle caption Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will meet in Islamabad today in an attempt to come up with a plan to de-escalate the Iran war. But a Houthi spokesman said attacks will continue until "the aggression on all resistance fronts stops." In this photo released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, left, meets with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP hide caption toggle caption Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP The Yemen-based rebels were active during Israel's war in Gaza, firing on cargo ships in the Red Sea and disrupting global commercial traffic.

## Article Content
Pakistan hosts diplomatic discussions on ending war
March 29, 2026
6:08 AM ET
By
NPR Staff
In this photo released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, center, walks toward his car upon arrival to attend a meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP
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Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP
Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will meet in Islamabad today in an attempt to come up with a plan to de-escalate the Iran war.
The meeting comes as several thousand more U.S. troops arrived in the region and after another group got involved in the expanding conflict: Yemen's Houthis.
The Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles towards Israel, and there's concern their involvement could threaten another vital global shipping lane in the Red Sea.
Here are more updates on day 30 of the Iran war.
Diplomacy Push in Pakistan
The four foreign ministers from regional powers will meet in Islamabad today and Monday for a push towards diplomacy to end the war.
In
a statement
ahead of the meeting, the Egyptian government said: "Discussions are expected to focus on recent developments related to regional military escalation and ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain tensions and promote de-escalation."
"The talks come amid heightened concerns about regional stability, with participating countries seeking to coordinate their stances and support political solutions to emerging crises," it added.
Whether whatever consensus the countries known as "the quad" come up with will be accepted by the US, Israel, and Iran is another question.
Pakistan has emerged as a possible peace-broker in the conflict, passing messages between the U.S. and Tehran. Foreign Minister
Ishaq Dar
said Saturday that "dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward."
Dar also welcomed the fact Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistan-flagged ships – or two a day – through the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthis enter war
Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen launched the first missile they have fired since the war began toward Israel on Saturday. Israel's military successfully intercepted it but the Houthis' attack opens another front in a war that has now moved into its second month.
Up until Saturday's missile launch the Houthis had stayed out of this war. But a Houthi spokesman said attacks will continue until "the aggression on all resistance fronts stops."
In this photo released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, left, meets with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP
The Yemen-based rebels were active during Israel's war in Gaza, firing on cargo ships in the Red Sea and disrupting global commercial traffic.
With Iran essentially blockading the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil prices, there are concerns that if the Houthis start attacking ships in the Red Sea again global shipping will be even more disrupted.
Iran also hit multiple sites around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Saturday and Israel's military says Iran is increasingly using cluster bombs.
Designed to detonate at high altitude the munition disperses dozens of smaller bombs that are more challenging for Israel's multi-layered air defense system to intercept and can cause damage over a wider area.
Dozens of countries have signed onto a cluster munitions treaty banning the weapons – except Iran, Israel and the U.S.
Iran threatens U.S. universities in region
Iranian authorities and residents say more airstrikes hit them overnight. Social media videos from across Iran showed strikes hitting all over the country.
Israel's military said it had completed what it called a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting weapons production and storage sites.
Iran claims U.S.-Israeli strikes hit a Tehran university over the weekend and Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps
threatened American university campuses
in the Middle East in retaliation.
"We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas" to stay a kilometer away from campuses, the statement, carried by Iranian media, said.
Several US universities have campuses in the Gulf, including New York University in the United Arab Emirates and Texas A&M University, among others, in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to fire drones and missiles at Gulf countries, with Kuwait saying it was intercepting missile and drone attacks early Sunday. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed ten drones.
Iran also claimed it had attacked two major aluminium sites in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Emirates Global Aluminium
confirmed an Iranian attack wounded several and caused significant damage to its plant.
U.S. Troops in

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Emirates Global Aluminium confirmed an Iranian attack wounded several and caused significant damage to its plant.

### Areas for Consideration
- The Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles towards Israel, and there's concern their involvement could threaten another vital global shipping lane in the Red Sea.

### Implications
- Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP hide caption toggle caption Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will meet in Islamabad today in an attempt to come up with a plan to de-escalate the Iran war.
- The Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles towards Israel, and there's concern their involvement could threaten another vital global shipping lane in the Red Sea.
- Diplomacy Push in Pakistan The four foreign ministers from regional powers will meet in Islamabad today and Monday for a push towards diplomacy to end the war.
- Whether whatever consensus the countries known as "the quad" come up with will be accepted by the US, Israel, and Iran is another question.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers iran, israel, pakistan topics. Notable strengths include discussion of iran. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1449.