Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that the United States was plotting a ground attack despite publicly engaging in diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war as a further 3,500 US troops arrived in the Middle East.
US Central Command said on X that the newly-arrived sailors and marines were part of a unit led by the warship USS Tripoli, which also includes assault and transport assets.
“The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack,” Ghalibaf said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would “rain fire” on any US troops attempting to enter Iranian territory.
US Central Command said on X that the newly-arrived sailors and marines were part of a unit led by the warship USS Tripoli, which also includes assault and transport assets.
“Our men are waiting for the arrival of the American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all,” he added.
He added: “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased.”
He described the US’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.
Ghalibaf’s defiant message comes after one month of regional war that was sparked on February 28 when Israel and the United States launched air strikes on Iran, killing its supreme leader and triggering a conflict that has spread across the Middle East.
Shipping traffic in the vital Strait of Hormuz – through which 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes – has been brought to a near-standstill by the conflict.
Ghalibaf called for unity among Iranians, saying the country was in “a major global war” that was “at its most critical stage.”
“We are certain that we can punish the United States, make it regret attacking Iran, and firmly secure our legitimate rights,” he said.
The response came after it emerged that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of limited ground operations in Iran, potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz, according to United States officials quoted by The Washington Post newspaper.
The plans, which fall short of a full invasion, could involve raids by special operations and conventional infantry troops, the Post reported on Saturday, exposing US personnel to Iranian drones and missiles, ground fire, and improvised explosives.
Meanwhile, Iranian media on Sunday published a list of industrial facilities in Israel and five Gulf countries that Tehran warned could be targeted in potential attacks.
According to an Anadolu correspondent, the list included details of major steel and industrial companies, including Saudi Iron and Steel Company (Hadeed) in Saudi Arabia, Emirates Steel Arkan in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar Steel, Foulath Holding in Bahrain, the United Steel Industrial Company in Kuwait, and Yehuda Steel in Israel.