Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has accused the United States of secretly preparing for a ground invasion despite publicly pushing for diplomacy to end the ongoing conflict.
In a statement carried by state news agency IRNA on Sunday, Ghalibaf said, “The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack.”
He issued a strong warning, adding that Iranian forces were ready to confront any such move. “Our men are waiting for the arrival of American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all,” he said.
His remarks come as the war, now about a month old, continues to escalate across the Middle East. The conflict began on February 28 following coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, which reportedly led to the death of Iran’s supreme leader and triggered widespread hostilities in the region.
The crisis has also disrupted global energy supplies, with shipping activities in the Strait of Hormuz—through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes—nearly halted.
Ghalibaf called for unity among Iranians, describing the situation as a “major global war” at a critical stage. He expressed confidence that Iran would respond decisively, saying the country would make the United States “regret attacking Iran” while defending its rights.
