Tehran: Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has accused the United States of secretly plotting a ground attack while publicly pursuing diplomatic talks to end the escalating war with Iran.
Speaking through the official IRNA news agency, Ghalibaf warned of duplicity in Washington’s approach. “The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack,” he said.
He further asserted Iranian resolve, stating, “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.”
“We are certain that we can punish the United States, make it regret attacking Iran, and firmly secure our legitimate rights,” Ghalibaf, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander and mayor of Tehran said, as reported by Mint.
Speculation about a US ground troop deployment intensified after the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship carrying around 3,500 Marines and sailors, arrived in the Middle East on Friday.
According to reports, the Pentagon has prepared plans for weeks of ground operations, potentially including raids on Kharg Island and sites near the Strait of Hormuz, though President Trump has yet to approve any such action.
Iran, meanwhile, claims it has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz — a vital shipping lane accounting for a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade — to hostile vessels, raising global economic alarms.
The risk of a broader regional war mounted further as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis launched their first attacks on Israel since the conflict erupted.
