Iran warned Donald Trump last night that he would be sending thousands of ground troops into the ‘swamp of death’ if he invaded.
The country’s leaders said its forces were ready and waiting for American soldiers and would ‘set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever’.
Around 2,500 US Marines have arrived in the Gulf as reports suggest that the American President is planning an imminent ground invasion.
Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, accused the US of plotting a ground attack while talking about diplomatic solutions after the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, arrived in the Middle East on Friday carrying thousands of marines and sailors.
He added: ‘Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased.’
US officials told the Washington Post that any potential ground operation would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could instead involve a series of raids.
But Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said yesterday: ‘Unfortunately, the leaders of the United States have delegated the authority to command the armed forces to someone who, due to imbalance, dangerous and wrong positions and decisions, has led the US army into the swamp of death.’
US Central Command said the USS Tripoli was equipped with ‘transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets’.
Ready for action: US marines train off Diego Garcia
Iran’s parliamentary speaker accused the US of plotting a ground attack while talking about diplomatic solutions after the USS Tripoli (pictured), an amphibious assault ship, arrived in the Middle East on Friday
Iran warned Donald Trump last night that he would be sending thousands of ground troops into the ‘swamp of death’ if he invaded
The image above shows UK, US and French bases across the Middle East
American military leaders have discussed seizing Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, as well as raiding coastal areas near the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, the Washington Post reported.
Troops may be deployed to destroy weapons that could target commercial and military shipping, officials said, with one adding that the objectives might take ‘a couple of months’.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that America could achieve all its objectives without ground troops.
The war, which has now entered its fifth week, has threatened global supplies of oil and gas, caused a shortage of fertiliser, and severely disrupted air travel.
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz and its retaliatory attacks on Gulf states have sent shockwaves through global markets.
In the past month, 13 US troops have been killed in action.
Some 62 per cent of Americans are opposed to a ground invasion, according to an Associated Press poll, with 12 per cent in favour.
Seizing Kharg Island would be hazardous, and it might be safer for forces to lay mines around the island to compel Iran to remove its own devices laid in the Strait of Hormuz, a military expert said.
Retired Army officer Michael Eisenstadt, a director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said: ‘I just wouldn’t want to be in that small place with Iran’s ability to rain down drones and maybe artillery.’
Meanwhile, Britain is preparing to deploy a Royal Navy ship that has been retro-fitted with autonomous mine-hunting drones, the Sunday Times reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that America could achieve all its objectives without ground troops
Troops may be deployed to destroy weapons that could target commercial and military shipping, officials said. Pictured: Sailors and Marines who arrived in the Middle East on Friday
The USS Tripoli (pictured) is an amphibious assault ship. The USS Boxer and two other ships, along with another Marine Expeditionary Unit, have also been ordered to the region from San Diego
The amphibious landing vessel RFA Lyme Bay could be sent to the Strait of Hormuz. A defence source said no decision had been taken, but added: ‘This preventative step gives ministers options… to help resume the normal flow of merchant shipping.’
Mr Trump has criticised Britain, claiming the UK ‘should be involved enthusiastically’ with efforts to reopen the waterway.
Iran’s blockade of the strait has sent global fuel prices soaring, with a barrel of crude oil hitting as much as £85 – up from about £50 before the war.
Mr Trump said on Saturday that negotiations with Tehran were ‘going very well’, even though Iran insists it is not negotiating with the White House.
He had warned Iran to end the blockade – which has left about 2,000 vessels trapped in the Persian Gulf – or face strikes on its energy infrastructure, but has extended the deadline to April 6.
It came as Pakistan announced last night that it would host talks between the US and Iran in days.
Electricity was cut in parts of the Iranian capital Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj yesterday after attacks on infrastructure, with shrapnel taking part of the electricity grid offline.
