Pakistani officials: Trump may order a ground attack on Iran - Sarmad
Pakistani intelligence officials believe that US President Donald Trump may order a ground attack on Iran, according to sources telling the German news agency DPA on Monday.
Two officials confirmed to DPA that Trump is believed to intend to launch a limited ground offensive to isolate Iran’s coastal region before concluding any peace agreement, despite domestic pressure and warnings from generals against such a move.
One official stated, “There are many indicators that he intends to do so… in terms of military deployment, troop movements, and the rhetoric being used.”
Experts view a US military invasion of Iran as carrying significant risks, with forces exposed to missile and drone attacks.
Iranian authorities have informed Pakistan, which mediates between Tehran and Washington, that Tehran has not ceased communication with US negotiators but has only suspended the negotiation process, according to sources cited by Al Arabiya/Al Hadath.
According to the sources, “Iran informed Pakistani authorities that it had not withdrawn from negotiations but had suspended them,” adding that “Iran emphasized to Pakistan the necessity of continuing negotiations in accordance with the memorandum of understanding previously reached between Washington and Tehran.”
The sources also noted that Iran is demanding “the resumption of talks on the Strait of Hormuz, followed by the release of frozen assets, and then the nuclear file.”
Meeting with Netanyahu
The Pakistani statements come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for Washington on Monday, stating he would meet with US President Donald Trump in their first direct talks since the beginning of their conflict with Iran.
This will be the eighth time Netanyahu has met with Trump since the US president returned to the White House, and their first meeting since February, prior to the joint Israeli-US air campaign against Iran.
In a video statement upon his departure, Netanyahu said, “In these difficult times, decisive action and great wisdom are required. We will discuss all issues on the agenda, with Iran at the forefront. Of course, our goal is to protect our security as well as to expand the circle of peace around us.”
Observers believe that the scheduled meeting on Tuesday in Washington between the US president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be pivotal in determining the trajectory of the conflict.
Although Netanyahu preemptively characterized the meeting with Trump at the White House, emphasizing that the decision to expand the war on Iran rests solely with the US president, it is no secret that Tel Aviv seeks to engage in an escalation path and is dissatisfied with the prospect of a US-Iran agreement.
Details of the meeting between the two leaders on February 11, just days before the declaration of war on Iran, have resurfaced amid fears of a recurrence of the same scenario.
