Iran accuses US of preparing ground offensive

The President of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused this Sunday (29), the United States of talking about dialogue at the same time that, according to him, it is preparing for a ground offensive. The statement was made as the war in the Middle East enters its second month and the American military presence in the region increases.

According to Ghalibaf, Tehran views the public negotiation messages sent by Washington with suspicion. For the Iranian leader, the US is trying to keep the diplomatic route open while strengthening its combat capacity close to Iranian territory.

“Publicly, the enemy sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while, in secret, planning a ground offensive. Our forces are awaiting the arrival of American soldiers on our territory to attack them and punish their regional allies once and for all,” Qalibaf said in a statement released by the official IRNA agency.

The speech takes place shortly after the arrival of the USS Tripoli in the Middle East. The amphibious ship carried thousands of soldiers and expanded the American arsenal available in the region, in a move interpreted as a sign of preparation for a tougher stage of the war.

Despite Tehran’s aggressive speech, there is still no official confirmation that the United States has decided on a ground invasion. The Donald Trump administration had been alternating public signals about the next steps in the conflict, while the Pentagon reinforced troops and kept military options on the table.

On the Iranian side, the country’s officials stated that any entry of American troops onto Iranian soil would be met with force and that the cost to Washington would be high.

The new exchange of threats takes place in parallel with diplomatic attempts to reduce the crisis. Pakistan said it was working to host talks involving actors from the region in an effort to contain the escalation.