Middle East Tension: Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has accused the US of plotting a ground invasion while openly engaging in diplomatic efforts to end the war.
In a statement released by the state news agency IRNA, Ghalibaf said, “The enemy openly sends messages of dialogue and negotiations, while secretly planning a ground offensive.”
A major global war
He added, “Our soldiers are waiting for the arrival of US troops on the ground, so that they can burn them to ashes and teach their regional allies a lesson once and for all.”
Ghalibaf also called for unity among Iranians, saying that the country is going through “a major global war” that is “at its most critical phase.”
Ghalibaf, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), police chief, and mayor of Tehran, said, “We are confident that we can teach the US a lesson, make it regret attacking Iran, and firmly safeguard its legitimate rights.”
According to reports, he was seen as a potential ally by the US and Donald Trump as Iran’s new leader.
Middle East Conflict Enters Critical Phase
Ghalibaf’s comments come as Operation Epic Fury, launched by the US and Israel on February 28, has entered its second month. Despite initial successes—including the assassination of then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top political and military leaders in Tehran—the US has not been able to defeat Iran militarily.
Although the US mainland is beyond the reach of Iranian missiles, US bases in the Middle East and Washington’s allies in the Gulf region—as well as Israel—are becoming targets of Tehran’s retaliatory attacks.
Iranian attacks on vital oil and gas infrastructure and its undeclared blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have triggered a global energy crisis; this has made the war—already unpopular within the country—even more untenable for the Trump administration.
US President Donald Trump has also so far given mixed messages regarding the war with Iran; his claims range from “America has already won the war” to “America is ready to negotiate a deal with Iran.”
Will Iran become like Iraq or Afghanistan? Many military experts have warned that by deciding to attack Iran, the US has dragged itself into another protracted conflict, similar to the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Trump administration has insisted that, unlike Iraq and Afghanistan, Operation Epic Fury will be completed within weeks.
Is US preparing for a ground invasion of Iran?
Ghalibaf’s comments come amid reports that the US is increasing its military presence in the Middle East, which could lead to a weeks-long ground invasion of Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has also warned that the US and Israel may try to escalate the current conflict by involving other countries in the conflict or carrying out “false-flag operations.”
Araqchi warned that Washington and Tel Aviv may try to expand their “unprovoked aggression” against Iran, “by forcing other countries to join in the aggression or by carrying out false-flag operations against third countries.”
According to Press TV, he also stressed that countries have a legal responsibility under international law not to allow their territories or resources to be used to plan or support acts of aggression.
(With agency inputs)