March 30, New Delhi – Iran has accused the United States of plotting a ground attack, even as it publicly advocates a negotiated deal, amid the deployment of thousands of US military personnel in West Asia.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a statement on Sunday that the country's armed forces are prepared to respond decisively if the threats materialize, adding that any US ground invasion would be repelled.
His remarks came as The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of limited ground operations in Iran, potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping chokepoint.
The Trump administration is also planning to send thousands of soldiers from the army's 82nd Airborne to the region, following a US Central Command announcement on Saturday that about 3,500 military personnel had arrived in West Asia aboard the USS Tripoli.
Iran's capital, Tehran, was struck by new airstrikes on Sunday morning, with several explosions reported in the eastern part of the city. US-Israeli strikes hit the Iranian port city of Bandar Khamir, near the Strait of Hormuz, leaving five people dead and four others injured.
The airstrikes knocked out electricity in Tehran, its surrounding areas, and Alborz province. Iran's nationwide internet blackout has now lasted 30 days, leaving millions cut off from information and communication since the war began.
Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck an industrial complex in southern Israel with ballistic missiles. Iranian Navy Chief Shahram Irani warned that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier would be targeted by the Islamic Republic if it comes within range.
(File Photo: US military personnel)
