Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, dressed in an IRGC uniform, chairs a session in Tehran, Iran, on February 1, 2026. (Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency (ICANA)/AFP)
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says that the United States is plotting a ground attack despite publicly engaging in diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war.
“The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack,” Ghalibaf says in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.
“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,” he adds.
Israel is said to have removed Ghalibaf from a list of potential Iranian targets. He is reportedly the “top man” with whom US President Donald Trump said last week he has been indirectly negotiating on terms for potentially ending the conflict.
Amid soaring speculation about the possible deployment of US ground troops in Iran, US Central Command said yesterday that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli has arrived in the Middle East.
The ship arrived in the region on Friday, CENTCOM said in a post on X, noting that the vessel is the flagship for a contingent of “about 3,500” Marines and sailors.
The group also includes “transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets,” it said.
US Marines with Lima Company, Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct a live fire deck shoot aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), Philippine Sea, March 16, 2026 (US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Gerardo Mendez)
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