Iran Says It Is 'waiting' For A Possible U.s. Ground Assault As 3,500 Troops Arrive In Middle East

Iran said Sunday it is fresh to look U.S. troops connected nan ground, accusing Washington of secretly readying an battle while seeking negotiations to extremity nan war.

“The enemy, openly, sends messages of speech and dialogue, but secretly is readying a crushed attack,” Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said, according to authorities media outlet IRNA and state-affiliated Tasnim.

The U.S. is “unaware that our men are waiting for American soldiers to participate connected nan crushed truthful they tin group them ablaze and punish their location partners forever,” he added.

His comments came hours aft The Washington Post reported that nan Pentagon has drawn up plans for weeks of crushed operations successful Iran short of a full-scale invasion, moreover arsenic President Donald Trump and cardinal White House figures awesome they want to soon tie nan conflict to a close. NBC News has not confirmed nan report.

Meanwhile, nan U.S. has reinforced its subject spot successful nan region. The USS Tripoli arrived successful nan Middle East connected Saturday arsenic portion of a complement of 3,500 troops, U.S. Central Command said successful a station connected X.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Iran has not responded to a 15-point bid connection intended to extremity nan warfare sent by U.S. negotiators, but said that location was a "willingness to talk astir definite things" from nan Iranian side.

But Ghalibaf, a hard-liner who is 1 of Iran's fewer surviving awesome governmental figures, accused nan U.S. of “pursuing done diplomacy what it grounded to execute successful war,” citing nan 15-point list.

“As agelong arsenic nan Americans activity Iran’s surrender, nan consequence of your sons to these wishes is clear. We will ne'er judge humiliation,” he said, addressing mundane Iranians.

President Donald Trump said past week that he would widen nan deadline for halting strikes connected Iran’s powerfulness plants aft affirmative developments successful negotiations pinch nan Iranian regime.

Trump said talks to extremity nan warfare are going “very well,” though Tehran insists it is not negotiating.

In a connection responding to questions astir nan anticipation of troops being sent into Iran, White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said: “It’s nan occupation of nan Pentagon to make preparations successful bid to springiness nan Commander successful Chief maximum optionality. It does not mean nan President has made a decision.”

Trump told reporters successful nan Oval Office March 20 that he was “not putting troops anywhere.”

“If I were, I surely wouldn’t show you, but I’m not putting troops,” he added.

CENTCOM said Saturday that thousands of American soldiers had arrived successful nan Middle East, listing “transport and onslaught combatant aerial craft, arsenic good arsenic amphibious battle and tactical assets” among nan subject assets successful nan region.

Thirteen U.S. work members person been killed during nan warfare pinch Iran, and 2 much person died of noncombat causes.