WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran, potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz, though President Donald Trump has not yet approved any deployment, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Any ground operation would stop short of a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-could-take-out-irans-kharg-island-any-time-white-house" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">full-scale invasion</a>, instead involving raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry troops, the Post said, citing unnamed officials. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted on Friday the United States &quot;can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops,&quot; but the Post said planning is advanced, with one official saying: &quot;This is not last-minute planning.&quot;

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 19, 2026. (AFP)

Middle East

Any ground operation would stop short of a full-scale invasion, instead involving raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry troops, the Post said, citing unnamed officials.

Pentagon preparing for ground operations in Iran: report

TEHRAN: Yemen&#39;s Houthi rebels joined the month-old Middle East war, claiming two missile attacks on Israel that raised concern on Sunday about the war spreading to the Red Sea. Fears of a widening conflict came as the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon was preparing plans for weeks of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pentagon-preparing-for-ground-operations-in-iran-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">US ground operations</a>&nbsp;in Iran -- though it said President Donald Trump has yet to approve any deployment. The involvement of Houthi rebels has added a new complexity to a conflict that has already impacted a wide swathe of the Middle East. During Israel&#39;s recent war on Gaza, the Houthis, claiming solidarity with Palestinians, attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, forcing companies to take costly detours. Until Saturday, they had sat out the latest conflict, even as the Red Sea grew more vital. A Houthi spokesman on Saturday said the group fired &quot;a barrage of cruise missiles and drones targeting several vital and military sites&quot; in Israel. Since the launch of hostilities, Saudi Arabia has rerouted much of its oil exports via the Red Sea to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran says it has closed to shipping from hostile powers. Iran threatens retaliationThe attacks on Iran continued Saturday as Israel&#39;s military said it struck the headquarters of Iran&#39;s Marine Industries Organisation in Tehran, saying the facility developed &quot;a wide range of naval weaponry.&quot; On Saturday evening, a wave of blasts rang out in the capital for several minutes, with no immediate word on what was targeted. An Israeli military spokesman said attacks on Iranian military industry had intensified and &quot;within a few days, we will complete attacks on all critical components.&quot; &quot;I miss a peaceful night&#39;s sleep,&quot; an artist in Tehran told AFP, saying the previous night&#39;s strikes were &quot;so intense it felt like all of Tehran was shaking.&quot; Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guard meanwhile threatened Sunday to strike US university campuses in the Middle East unless Washington officially condemned US-Israeli&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-israel-war-on-iran-day-29" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">attacks on two Iranian universities</a>. Several American institutions operate campuses across the Gulf region, including Texas A&amp;M in Qatar and New York University in the UAE. Pakistan mediationThe conflict began when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes across Iran that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, engulfing the region in conflict, sending energy prices soaring and prompting diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting. Pakistan, acting as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-iran-leaders-discuss-regional-tensions-peace-efforts" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">go-between for Washington and Tehran,</a>&nbsp;will host foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt in Islamabad on Monday for talks on the crisis. Iran&#39;s President Masoud Pezeshkian thanked Islamabad &quot;for its mediation efforts to stop the aggression,&quot; while Germany&#39;s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Friday he expected a direct US-Iran meeting in Pakistan &quot;very soon.&quot; Trump&#39;s special envoy Steve Witkoff said such a meeting could take place this week, and promoted a 15-point plan that Washington says &quot;could solve it all.&quot; Still, the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship carrying around 3,500 Marines and sailors, arrived in the Middle East on Friday amid speculation over a possible US ground deployment in Iran. The Washington Post reported late Saturday that the Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran -- potentially including raids on Kharg Island and sites near the Strait of Hormuz -- though President Trump has yet to approve any deployment. Red Sea shipping&nbsp;The economic fallout of the war remained critical with Hormuz still all but impassable and attacks on infrastructure still frequent in the region. Many Gulf shipments have been rerouted through Oman&#39;s Salalah port on the Arabian Sea, but Danish shipping giant Maersk said operations there were temporarily suspended after a drone attack. Fire broke out after Iranian missiles and drones struck the Khalifa Economic Zone in Abu Dhabi, injuring six people. Emirates Global Aluminium reported significant damage. Air travel has also been disrupted, with authorities in Kuwait and Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan reporting airport facilities hit in strikes by Iran. The United States condemned a drone attack on the residence of Kurdish regional leader Nechirvan Barzani, blaming Iranian militia proxies in Iraq and calling it &quot;a direct assault on Iraq&#39;s sovereignty.&quot; Elsewhere in Iraq, a former paramilitary coalition, integrated into the armed forces but containing pro-Iran factions, said three fighters were killed in a strike near Kirkuk, while the interior ministry said two police officers died in another in Mosul. Both were blamed on the United States and Israel. Ukraine&#39;s President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his military&#39;s expertise to help defend against Iranian strikes as left his war-torn country for the region to sign anti-drone cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. Three journalists killed<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/lebanon-says-46-rescuers-5-medical-staff-killed-in-israelhezbollah-war" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Attacks continued in Lebanon</a>, which was drawn into the conflict when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2. On Saturday, the Israeli military killed three journalists in the south, including Al Manar correspondent Ali Shoeib, one of the network&#39;s most prominent war correspondents, who had covered Israeli attacks on Lebanon for decades. The Israeli military accused him of operating within Hezbollah &quot;under the guise of a journalist.&quot; Lebanese authorities, including President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, condemned the killings as war crimes. Israel also carried out raids in southern Lebanon that killed nine paramedics, according to the health ministry.

A security personnel stands guard as Houthi supporters gather during a rally in solidarity with Iran and Lebanon, amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on March 27, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

The involvement of Houthi rebels adds a new complexity to a conflict that has already impacted a wide swathe of the Middle East.

Houthis missile attacks on Israel widen Middle East war

Web Desk

<em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; font-size: 18px; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839);' id="isPasted">This live blog follows updates for Day 30 of the US-Israeli war on Iran. For a recap of Day 29, go <span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839); font-size: 18px;"><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-israel-war-on-iran-day-29" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#0073e6;">here</a><em style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>.<hr> <ul><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">Israeli strike kills three journalists in south Lebanon</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">Hundreds of Israelis protest against war, clash with police</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">Iran president lauds Pakistan for mediation to stop US, Israel &#39;aggression&#39;</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">Ukraine denies Iran destroyed its anti-drone system depot in UAE</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">Iran military say targeted Ukranian anti-drone system depot in UAE</li></ul><hr> Two explosions heard in northern Tehran: AFP<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted">March 29, 2026 | 04:06 GMT&nbsp; Two powerful explosions shook northern Tehran early Sunday, an AFP journalist reported. The blasts occurred in the Iranian capital around 7:20 am (0350 GMT) as air defences operated, although it was not clear what was targeted. Israel military says another soldier killed in south Lebanon<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted">March 29, 2026 | 03:51 GMT&nbsp; The Israeli army announced on Sunday the death in combat of a soldier in south Lebanon. &quot;Sergeant Moshe Yitzchak hacohen Katz, aged 22, from New Haven, Connecticut, a soldier of the 890th battalion, Paratroopers Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon,&quot; a military statement said. UAE says responding to missiles and drones<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted">March 29, 2026 | 03:13 GMT&nbsp; The UAE defence ministry said Sunday its air defence system was actively responding to missiles and drones, as Iran pressed strikes in the Gulf a month into the regional war. &quot;UAE Air Defences system(s) are actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats,&quot; the ministry posted on X, adding that the &quot;sounds heard across the country are the result of ongoing engaging operations&quot;. Iran attack on Aluminium Bahrain plant wounds two: state media<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted">March 29, 2026 | 03:03 GMT&nbsp; Two of Aluminium Bahrain&#39;s employees were wounded in an Iranian attack on its facilities over the weekend, Bahrain state media reported on Sunday. Since the Middle East war erupted at the end of February, Bahrain and other Gulf countries have been regularly targeted by Iranian missile and drone strikes in retaliation for the US-Israeli campaign, now in its second month. &quot;The safety and security of (Aluminium Bahrain&#39;s) people remain its top priority and the Company confirms that two of Alba&#39;s employees sustained minor injuries,&quot; the company said in a statement carried by the official Bahrain News Agency. Pentagon preparing for ground operations in Iran: report<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted">March 29, 2026 | 01:23 GMT&nbsp; The Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran -- potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz -- though President Donald Trump has not yet approved any deployment, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Any ground operation would stop short of a full-scale invasion, instead involving raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry troops, the Post said, citing unnamed officials. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted on Friday the United States &quot;can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops,&quot; but the Post said planning is advanced, with one official saying: &quot;This is not last-minute planning.&quot; Iran signals possible retaliation after claiming strikes hit its universities<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted">March 29, 2026 | 00:25 GMT&nbsp; Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guard on Sunday threatened to target US universities in the Middle East after saying US-Israeli strikes had destroyed two Iranian universities. &quot;If the US government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation... it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time,&quot; said the statement published by Iranian media. The statement added: &quot;We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas&quot; stay a kilometre away from campuses. Israel military says intercepting missile from Yemen<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted">March 29, 2026 | 00:15 GMT&nbsp;<br style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Israel&#39;s military said Sunday it was intecepting a missile fired from Yemen, a day after the Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the war. Israel&#39;s military &quot;has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defense systems are operating to intercept the threat,&quot; it said in a statement. &quot;The public is requested to follow the Home Front Command&#39;s defensive guidelines.&quot;

A plume of smoke rises from the site of a strike in Tehran early on March 28, 2026. (AFP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Sunday threatened to target US universities in the Middle East after saying US-Israeli strikes had destroyed two Iranian universities.

Iran signals possible retaliation after claiming strikes hit its universities

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, stressing the need for de-escalation amid evolving regional tensions.&nbsp;&ldquo;The two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation and ongoing developments,&rdquo; the Foreign Office said in a statement on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2037976966335545751&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F4092%2F&sessionId=c8a55887daf4221a380cf1df7b4bfeb17176c14c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 770px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>FM Dar emphasized the need for de-escalation, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path for lasting peace. He also underscored the importance of an end to all attacks and hostilities.&nbsp;Dar said Pakistan would continue to support all efforts aimed at restoring regional peace and stability.&nbsp;The development comes shortly after Dar announced that Tehran had agreed to allow 20 additional Pakistani-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with two vessels scheduled to transit daily.&nbsp;The Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy corridor, remains under close watch amid heightened geopolitical tensions. PM briefs Iranian president on push for peace talksOn Saturday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-iran-leaders-discuss-regional-tensions-peace-efforts" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">extensive telephone conversation</a>&nbsp;focused on ongoing hostilities in the region and peace efforts. During the call, which lasted over an hour, the two leaders discussed the ongoing hostilities and the need for a coordinated push towards peace, the statement said. &ldquo;Held a detailed telephone conversation with my brother, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran, earlier today, lasting over one hour,&rdquo; the prime minister said on X.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, meet in Islamabad on May 5, 2025. (File photo: Iran’s Foreign Ministry)

Foreign Affairs

Dar emphasizes the need for de-escalation, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path for lasting peace.

Pakistani FM urges restraint, diplomacy in call with Iranian counterpart

PARIS: French police stopped an apparent bomb attack outside a US bank in Paris early Saturday when they arrested a man about to set off a homemade explosive device, officials and sources close to the case told AFP. The incident occurred around 3:30 am (0130 GMT) in front of a Bank of America building in the chic 8th arrondissement, a couple of streets from the Champs-Elysees. Police grabbed the man just after he placed a device made of five liters of liquid (1.3 gallons), believed to be fuel, and an ignition system, one of the sources said. The suspect, who allegedly said he was recruited for the operation on social media, was accompanied by a second man, who took flight as officers came to arrest them. The ignition component had 650 grams (23 ounces) of explosive powder in it, according to an initial assessment. The whole device was taken to the Paris police&#39;s forensics lab for full analysis. France&#39;s counter-terrorism prosecutor&#39;s office told AFP it had immediately taken over the investigation and confirmed the suspect caught was in police custody. It said the probe it has launched was into &quot;attempted damage by fire or other dangerous means in connection with a terrorist undertaking&quot; and a &quot;terrorist criminal conspiracy.&quot; Both the Paris judicial police and France&#39;s domestic intelligence service, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), were involved in the probe, the office told AFP. Allegedly recruited for 600 eurosAccording to a police source, the suspect said he had been recruited via the Snapchat app to carry out the bombing in exchange for the sum of 600 euros ($692). A man had dropped him off at the scene in&nbsp;a car, the same source said. When the patrolling officers arrested him, he was about to ignite the device with a lighter, the source said. A spokesperson for Bank of America, whose US headquarters is in Charlotte, North Carolina, told AFP that they were aware of the situation and were in communication with the French authorities. France&#39;s interior minister, Laurent Nunez, on X hailed the speedy action by the police officers, given &quot;the current international situation.&quot; Since the outbreak of the war of the Middle East, European countries have been on high alert for potential attacks on Iranian dissidents, Jewish places of worship, and US-Israeli interests.Nunez said that, in France, &quot;vigilance remains more than ever at a high level.&quot;

Europe

French police stops an apparent bomb attack outside a US bank in Paris early Saturday when they arrested a man about to set off a homemade explosive device

French police foil Paris bomb attack outside US bank

BEIRUT: Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Saturday that 46 rescuers and five medical staff had been killed by Israel since the start of the war with Hezbollah on March 2. Nassereddine said in a press conference that &quot;the number of martyrs in the health sector... is 51 martyrs... including 46 paramedics and 5 health workers, including nine new paramedic martyrs today.&quot; The minister said the nine medics killed in south Lebanon on Saturday included four from Hezbollah&#39;s Islamic Health Committee who were targeted by Israeli strikes while carrying out rescue missions, and five from the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement&#39;s Risala Scouts, who were also on duty.

Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Saturday that 46 rescuers and five medical staff had been killed by Israel since the start of the war with Hezbollah on March 2

Lebanon says 46 rescuers, 5 medical staff killed in Israel-Hezbollah war

DOHA: Qatar and Ukraine signed a defense agreement on Saturday including cooperation on countering threats from missiles and drones, the Gulf state&#39;s defense ministry said while Iran pressed an aerial campaign against its neighbors. &quot;The agreement includes collaboration in technological fields, development of joint investments and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems,&quot; the ministry said in a statement during a visit to Qatar by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Qatar, Ukraine sign deal on countering missiles, drones: Qatari defense ministry

Maham Khan

ISLAMABAD: For decades, political leaders, generals, and commentators have leaned on a familiar phrase to explain repeated foreign failures in Afghanistan: &ldquo;the graveyard of empires.&rdquo; The expression suggests inevitability, that geography and culture doom any outside power to defeat, turning policy missteps into acts of fate. But scholars and analysts argue the phrase is less historical truth than convenient narrative. Abdul Basit, Senior Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University, calls it &ldquo;a very narrow framing which deprives the country of its diversity and the vitality it offers.&rdquo; He warns the implications extend beyond semantics: &ldquo;If Afghanistan is in trouble, because it is the heart of Asia, the entire Asia will be in trouble.&rdquo; A modern phrase, not an ancient truth The historical record does not support the idea that Afghanistan has consistently defeated foreign powers. The phrase itself only entered widespread use in November 2001, when former CIA station chief Milton Bearden wrote in Foreign Affairs that empires from Alexander the Great to the Soviet Union had been undone by &ldquo;unruly Afghan tribals.&rdquo; Historians R. Gerald Hughes and James Fergusson reject that thesis, arguing it is &ldquo;historically illiterate and empirically flawed.&rdquo; They contend the narrative distorts two millennia of regional history, though its resurgence in 2001 aligned closely with the United States preparing to invade Afghanistan. Research drawing on imperial records and studies by Thomas Barfield indicates the territory was under foreign rule for at least 75.95% of the past 2,000 years, rising to 87.85% under stricter definitions. Barfield describes an &ldquo;Afghan Paradox&rdquo;: stability historically depended on strong centralized authority, not resistance to it. Empires including the Mongols, Kushans, Mughals, and Safavids ruled successfully for extended periods. In this framing, Afghanistan was less a graveyard than a strategic corridor. A &ldquo;highway of conquest&rdquo; linking major regions. Origins in imperial failureThe roots of the myth trace back to the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839&ndash;1842). While the British invasion initially succeeded, it ended in catastrophe during a retreat in which thousands of soldiers and civilians were killed near Gandamak. According to Martin J. Bayly, colonial records framed the defeat in ways that shifted blame from military leadership to the environment and local population. Nivi Manchanda argues this narrative was deliberately constructed to shield decision-makers from scrutiny. Sahar Khan of the Stimson Center describes the pattern clearly: &ldquo;The term shifts the blame away from decision-makers and onto things like the terrain, decentralized power structures, and cultural norms.&rdquo; The British themselves undermined the myth during the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878&ndash;1881), adapting their strategy and ultimately imposing a protectorate over Afghanistan for decades. Repeating the narrativeThe Soviet experience followed a similar trajectory. Journalist Arshad Yousafzai notes: &ldquo;the Soviets didn&#39;t collapse solely because of Afghanistan, they fell apart because of deep economic rot and political shifts back in Moscow.&rdquo; Despite this, the &ldquo;graveyard&rdquo; framing persists, often simplifying complex geopolitical failures into cultural inevitabilities. Human consequencesAnalysts say the narrative carries real-world costs. By recasting policy failures as destiny, it obscures accountability and sidelines the lived realities of Afghans. Recent reporting by Amnesty International and the US State Department documents severe restrictions on women&rsquo;s rights, along with arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. As Khan puts it, &ldquo;The phrase &lsquo;graveyard of empires&rsquo; transforms a policy failure into a destiny.&rdquo; The historical record suggests otherwise. What ended foreign campaigns in Afghanistan was not an immutable landscape or culture, but decisions made by those who led them.

Afghan men armed with guns and rifles march in the Zazai Maidan district of Khost province on March 27, 2026. (AFP)

Afghanistan

The phrase "graveyard of empires" is less a historical truth about Afghanistan than a piece of political cover; invented, sustained, and deployed by the very powers it flatters.

Graveyard myth shields empires from accountability in Afghanistan’s history

ISLAMABAD: Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal on Saturday said he looked forward to &ldquo;enhancing bilateral ties&rdquo; and &ldquo;exploring further avenues for cooperation&rdquo; between Pakistan and Nepal, according to a post on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2037706888197046511&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=fd25b5b85ace2f874ce6272131a6b0e4c68e6067&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 552px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2037706888197046511">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;Nepal deeply values its friendship with Pakistan. I look forward to working closely with you,&rdquo; Khanal posted on X, while replying to Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who had congratulated him earlier on taking office. The minister also emphasized cooperation between both countries to &ldquo;achieve shared goals of peace and prosperity.&rdquo; Khanal, who assumed office on Friday along with members of his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) after taking oath, said both countries should work together to &ldquo;achieve shared goals of peace and prosperity.&rdquo;

Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal says he looks forward to “enhancing bilateral ties” and “exploring further avenues for cooperation” between Pakistan and Nepal, on a post on his X account.

Nepali foreign minister eyes stronger ties with Pakistan   

RAMALLAH: The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/hamas-to-surrender-arms-to-palestinian-authority-if-israeli-occupation-ends" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Palestinian Authority</a>&nbsp;has condemned the recent eviction of multiple families from their homes in east Jerusalem and urged the international community to take &quot;firm measures&quot; to halt the displacements. Several families were removed from their homes in the neighborhood of Silwan in Israeli-occupied&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/israel-begins-demolitions-at-unrwa-headquarters-in-east-jerusalem" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">east Jerusalem</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, AFP journalists saw. Silwan has for decades been the target of a policy allowing Jews who lost property before the establishment of Israel in 1948 to claim it. Israeli rights group B&#39;Tselem said the evictions were the start of &quot;a large wave of displacement affecting around 2,200 people&quot; and were part of a policy aimed at &quot;Judaising the neighborhood.&quot; In a statement released late on Friday by official news agency WAFA, the PA&#39;s foreign ministry &quot;condemned the escalation by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/five-killed-in-occupied-east-jerusalem-attack" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Israeli occupation</a>&nbsp;authorities of forced eviction measures.&quot; It said 15 families had been evicted from the hilltop neighborhood south of Jerusalem&#39;s Old City. It also called on the international community to take &quot;firm and more decisive steps to prevent the continuation of forced displacement against the Palestinian people.&quot; Israeli authorities have evicted many Palestinian families from the area in recent years, while further families await the enforcement of eviction orders. Hundreds of settlers, whose presence is illegal under international law, live among around 50,000 Palestinians in Silwan. Their presence in the neighborhood dates back to the 1980s. Israel captured east Jerusalem in 1967, later annexing it and declaring it part of its undivided capital, a move not recognized by the UN or most of the international community. Palestinians aspire to make it the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Palestinians perform Friday prayer on the streets in East Jerusalem on March 27, 2026 as the Israeli forces continue to impose restriction to Palestinians from entering the Dome of the Rock of Masjid Al-Aqsa for Friday prayers, in Jerusalem. (AFP)

Several families were removed from their homes in the neighborhood of Silwan in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem on Wednesday, AFP journalists saw.

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