JAKARTA - Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday accused the United States of secretly preparing a ground offensive, as Washington openly pursued diplomatic efforts to end the war.
"The enemy openly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack," Ghalibaf said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, quoted by Daily Sabah (29/3).
"Our forces are waiting for the arrival of American soldiers on the ground to burn them and punish their regional allies once and for all," he added.
As previously reported, the US Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) is reportedly preparing a ground operation plan to the Land of the Mullahs in the coming weeks.
A number of US officials who spoke to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity confirmed that this ground operation was not a "full-scale invasion", but a limited attack carried out by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry.
Ghalibaf's defiant message comes a month after a regional war triggered on February 28 when Israel and the United States launched air raids on Iran, killing its top leader and sparking a conflict that has spread across the Middle East.
Shipping traffic in the vital Strait of Hormuz - which normally carries 20 percent of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas - has been almost halted 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 confident that we can punish the United States, make them regret having attacked Iran, and firmly secure our legitimate rights," he said.
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