Iran issues warning to US amid ground invasion speculations
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has issued a stark warning to the United States, declaring that Iranian forces are fully prepared to confront any ground invasion, amid rising speculation of an expanded military campaign in the region.
Speaking to mark 30 days since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Ghalibaf said Tehran’s military was on high alert and ready to respond decisively should American troops be deployed on Iranian soil.
“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 said. “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased.”
His remarks come against the backdrop of mounting reports that thousands of US marines are being positioned in the Middle East, fuelling concerns that the conflict could shift from aerial bombardments to a full-scale ground offensive.
Ghalibaf, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accused Washington of pursuing a dual-track approach publicly advocating diplomacy while quietly preparing for escalation.
“The enemy openly sends a message of negotiation and secretly plans a ground attack,” he said, adding that the United States was attempting to achieve through military means what it had failed to secure during the ongoing war.
Despite diplomatic efforts in the region, including a meeting of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey in Islamabad, there remains no direct engagement between Washington and Tehran a development that continues to cast doubt on claims of progress towards de-escalation.
The Iranian speaker described the situation as a critical phase in what he termed a “major global war,” urging national unity as the country braces for a potentially prolonged conflict.
“We are in a major world war, and we must prepare ourselves for the tortuous and difficult path ahead of us,” he said.
The war, which began on February 28 following coordinated US and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, has since expanded across the Middle East, disrupting regional stability and raising fears of a broader geopolitical confrontation.
With tensions showing no sign of easing, analysts warn that any ground incursion could mark a dangerous turning point, significantly deepening the crisis and its global implications.
Sun
