'Our men are waiting for American soldiers': Iran parliament speaker warns US against ground invasion

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, "The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack."

In his first comments since the commencement of the war, Iran's parliament speaker has accused the United States of plotting a ground attack despite them talking about diplomacy. This comes after a US warship with around 3,500 military personnel arrived in West Asia .

Following US and Israel's coordinated attack on Iran last month—aimed at dismantling the country's nuclear programme and resulting in the death of their then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—the conflict has now escalated into a full-scale regional war.

The aftermath of the initial attack saw Iran retaliating by launching strikes at US bases in Bahrain, UAE among others nations. Moreover, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz— a pivotal lifeline that accounts for 25 per cent of the world’s maritime oil trade— has sent energy markets into a tailspin.

AFP reported Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf saying, "The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack." 

Ghalibaf added, "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."

Earlier, the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is preparing ⁠for weeks of ground ‌operations in ​Iran.

The plans ​could involve ⁠raids by Special Operations and conventional infantry troops. ‌Whether President Donald Trump would approve any ‌of those plans ⁠remains uncertain, according to the Post.

Trump has repeatedly spoken of diplomatic contacts with Iran, although these claims has been denied by Tehran.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff has said a US-Iran meeting could take place soon, and promoted a 15-point plan that Washington says "could solve it all".

Currently, Pakistan is hosting foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey to discuss the West Asia conflict and efforts to negotiate a deal, the Foreign Office said.