Tehran says army is ‘waiting’ for US ground invasion and vows to set Trump’s troops ‘on fire’

INDEPENDENT - Iranian armed forces are waiting for a ground invasion by US troops and are ready to “set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever” speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.

Ghalibaf accused the US of speaking of negotiations in public while planning a ground invasion in private, according to state media.

It follows speculation that Pentagon officials are preparing for potential ground operations in Iran, which could last for weeks, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Thousands of US marines arrived in the region aboard the USS Tripoli on Saturday, according to US Central Command.

“The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group/31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about 3,500 Sailors and Marines in addition to transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets,” wrote US Central Command.

However, secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Friday that the US could achieve its goals without a ground invasion.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have said they carried out a second attack ⁠on Israel in less than 24 hours and ​vowed ⁠to continue military operations in the ⁠coming days.