The Pentagon is said to be “readying for weeks of troops on the ground” after 3,500 personnel arrived in the Gulf aboard the warship USS Tripoli, built for the United States Navy
The US was accused today of preparing for a ground invasion of Iran. The Pentagon was “readying for weeks of troops on the ground” after 3,500 personnel, including Marines, arrived in the region aboard the warship USS Tripoli. The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament warned that their forces were ready to ‘set fire to them’ if they invaded.
US plans could involve raids by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry troops. President Donald Trump may not approve a full-scale invasion, according to the Washington Post.
But the arrival of troops represented a dramatic escalation of the conflict as Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israel. They also targeted key infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, significantly damaging the Emirates Global Aluminium plant, and in Oman. Yemen’s Houthis claimed they struck parts of southern Israel with ‘a barrage of cruise missiles and drones.’
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The move sparked fears that the armed militia could join Tehran in shipping attacks. Experts fear the Houthis could close the Suez Canal and target vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a choke point leading to the key waterway.
This would mean losing a second major shipping route in addition to the Strait of Hormuz, significantly harming the global economy and causing fuel and devastating food shortages. Trump previously said that a ground invasion of Iran was a “waste of time” because Iran had already “lost everything.”
But the furious Speaker of Iran’s Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed the President was secretly preparing for invasion even as he attempted to negotiate peace.
In a statement issued across Iranian state media, he marked 30 days since the war began and warned that “the enemy signals negotiation in public, while in secret it plots a ground attack.”
He accused the US, “with a 15-point list,” of setting out its wishes and pursuing what it failed to achieve in the war. He added that Iranian forces were “waiting for American soldiers to enter on the ground so they can rain fire upon them.” On the prospect of Iran’s surrender, Ghalibaf added that Iran’s message is “clear” and it will not accept “humiliation.” The country’s internet blackout reached day 30, with nationwide censorship measures continuing into a fifth week.
Connectivity to the outside world remains at just one percent of normal levels, leaving millions of its citizens unaware of the war’s progress. The conflict escalated as RAF Typhoons and F-35 jets continued to defend Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE overnight on Saturday RAF Regiment gunners destroyed seven one-way attack drones as the Royal Navy prepared an evacuation ship with a fleet of autonomous mine-hunting drones. Lyme Bay was ‘retrofitted’ to enable it to act as a “mothership” for underwater drones and crewless minehunting boats.
It is part of the UK’s plan to use autonomous minehunters to help clear the vital Strait of Hormuz if needed. The Government is currently working with allies to develop military plans for reopening the strait. Tehran has effectively blocked this vital shipping route for oil and gas.
Lyme Bay commanding officer, Captain Mark Colley, said: “I am proud of the work my ship’s company has done to prepare and be ready to embark. “Having recently returned to high readiness, we have been put through our paces but I know we are ready to support this autonomous uncrewed kit and play an important role in its use.”
Trump demanded that allies send warships to help reopen the strait, but Western nations have so far declined. The European Union’s maritime security body warned ships to avoid entering Yemeni territorial waters as the Iran-backed Houthis could resume “attacks on merchant ships,” particularly in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The European Union Naval Force Aspides mission said that merchant ships linked to the US or Israel should avoid Yemeni waters until “the threat becomes less pressing.” The report rates the threat level as “high” for vessels affiliated with Israeli interests. There is a “medium” threat level for vessels “not linked to Israel or the United States”. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned airstrikes on two of the country’s leading universities. The country’s Revolutionary Guard warned that it will now consider Israeli and US universities “legitimate targets” in an escalation of hostilities. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out a wave of strikes against Israel to commemorate Lebanese journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israeli defence systems intercepted missiles launched from Iran towards Israel. People in affected areas were told to take shelter and follow the Home Front Command’s guidelines. Oman’s Foreign Ministry was investigating “treacherous and cowardly attacks” targeting the country, which “no party has claimed.” A foreign worker was injured on Saturday after two drones targeted the Port of Salalah in southern Oman, according to the country’s official news agency. Earlier this month, Iran attacked fuel storage tanks in the same city.
