Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 29: As the United States is believed to be preparing to launch ground invasion of Iran with about 3,500 marine troops reaching the war zone in West Asia, Iran said its troops and missiles were in place to “welcome” the US ground forces.
The Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has warned the US against ground invasion, threatening severe retaliation against American troops and allies in the region. “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased,” he said. “As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, our response is clear: Far be it from us to accept humiliation.”
Iran’s English-language daily Tehran Times carried a stark warning to Washington on Saturday. The front page headline read, “Welcome To Hell” alongside a warning that any US troops entering Iranian soil would “leave only in a coffin.”
The messaging comes amid reports that Washington may be weighing the deployment of up to 10,000 additional troops to the region, fuelling speculation that the conflict could escalate into a possible ground operation inside Iran. Earlier, the US Central Command said around 3,500 American troops had arrived in the West Asia.
The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operation in Iran including raids on Kharg islands and the sites near the Strait of Hormuz. The plans could involve raids by special operations and conventional infantry troops. Any ground operation would stop short of a full-scale invasion, sources said.
“The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about 3,500 Sailors and Marines, in addition to transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets,” the sources said. The ship, which is usually based in Japan, arrived in the region on Friday, sources said.
Stating that the Iranian forces were ready for the Americans, Mr Qalibaf rebuked the US president Donald Trump for expressing willingness to negotiate with Iran, while “secretly planning a ground attack.” “The enemy is openly sending a message of negotiation and secretly planning a ground attack,” he said. “Our men are waiting for the arrival of American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire.”
US-Israeli strikes on Sunday hit a quay at an Iranian port city near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, killing five people, Iranian state media reported. “The American-Zionist enemy carried out a criminal attack at the quay of Bandar Khamir, killing five people and injuring four others,” the official IRNA news agency reported.
Another wave of strikes across Iran has been “completed”, according to the Israeli army, just hours after massive explosions were heard across the capital, Tehran. In a statement on X, the IDF claimed the strikes targeted weapons storage and production sites as well as air defence systems.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) is planning to hit “top priority” targets of Iran and has issued a fresh warning to the West Asian nations. “It could be ballistic missiles, (weapons) production, nuclear, command and control centers, and so on,” said Nadav Shoshani, the IDF’s international spokesperson. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthis entered into the conflict and they have launched second missile attack on Israel and vow to continue to fight in coming days.
The Trump administration is believed to be toeing with the idea of possible seizure of Kharg islands, the home to Iran’s largest oil terminal, and raids into other coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blocked by Tehran since the West Asia conflict broke out on February 28, to “find and destroy weapons” that can target commercial and military shipping.
Sources said the objectives under consideration would probably take “weeks, not months” to complete. Another said the potential timeline could take “a couple of months.” A former senior defence official familiar with the US military’s plans said they are extensive. “We’ve looked at this. It’s been war-gamed. This is not last-minute planning,” the official said.
The official said that seizing Iranian territory would “embarrass” the regime of the Islamic Republic and create “valuable bargaining chips” in future negotiations. The biggest challenge, however, would be protecting any US forces holding territory, the official added. “You’ve got to provide cover for the people on Kharg Island. That’s the difficult task. Seizing it is not difficult. Protecting your guys once they are there is,” the official said.
There has been speculation about American troops potentially seizing Kharg Island, which accounts for around 90 percent of Iran’s crude exports. It was also targeted by US airstrikes earlier this month, with Trump describing it as a “crown jewel” for Tehran. Trump has also repeatedly warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key sea lane for Gulf oil and gas exports.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said last week that the US president was “prepared to unleash hell” against Tehran if it did not accept a deal to end the war. “If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” she told a briefing.
“President Trump does not bluff, and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again,” Leavitt said. In response to the media reports about US preparing for ground invasion, she said it was the “job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality.” “It does not mean the President has made a decision,” she said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said Washington “can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops.” Trump has also in recent days repeatedly claimed progress in talks with Iran, even as Tehran denied any formal negotiations were taking place.
Israel’s military said early on Sunday it was intercepting a missile fired from Yemen, a day after the Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the war. Israel’s military “has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat,” it said in a statement. “The public is requested to follow the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines.”
On the other hand, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday threatened to target US universities in the West Asia after saying US-Israeli strikes had destroyed two Iranian universities. In a statement, the IRGC demanded a US condemnation of the bombing of universities by noon local time on Monday.