Iran Parliament Speaker Warns US Forces of 'Humiliating Captivity' Amid Invasion Fears

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared on Sunday that Iranian forces are waiting for American soldiers to arrive on Iranian soil, as the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its 30th day and speculation mounted over a potential ground operation.

„Our people are waiting for the arrival of American soldiers on land to burn them and punish their regional allies once and for all.” — Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf via IRNA

Ghalibaf, who according to media reports was recently removed from Israel's list of potential targets and is considered a key figure in mediated contacts with Washington, also accused the United States of conducting diplomacy as a cover for military planning.

„The enemy is publicly sending signals about negotiations and dialogue, while secretly planning a ground attack.” — Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf via IRNA

The warnings came as US Central Command confirmed on Saturday that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli had arrived in the Middle East, with CENTCOM stating that transport and fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious and tactical assets, are also ready. The Washington Post, citing US officials, reported that the Pentagon is preparing scenarios for a landing operation involving special forces and regular infantry, including soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division. Among the scenarios under discussion are the seizure of Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, where Iran's main oil and gas export terminal is located, and operations on coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to locate and destroy weapons capable of threatening merchant and military shipping. One source cited by the Washington Post said the considered objectives would likely take "weeks, not months," while another described the potential duration as "a couple of months."

White House signals options open, Rubio says ground troops not needed US officials sent mixed signals on the question of a ground operation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that no decision on the use of ground troops has been made, framing the Pentagon's planning as standard preparation to give the commander in chief maximum flexibility.

„The Pentagon's job is to prepare to give the commander in chief maximum freedom of decision-making. That does not mean that the president has made a decision.” — Karoline Leavitt via TVN24

Leavitt separately stated that President Donald Trump is "ready to unleash hell" if Iran does not make peace as part of ongoing negotiations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as acting National Security Advisor, said on Friday that the United States is able to achieve all its goals without involving ground forces. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said he expects a meeting with Iranian negotiators to take place before the end of the week, adding that Washington conveyed a 15-point peace agreement proposal to Tehran "some time ago" and is awaiting a response.

„My definition of real negotiations is: we will sit here and not leave until we are done, and that is what we proposed. We think meetings will take place this week.” — Steve Witkoff via TVN24

On Friday, approximately 3,500 American marines and sailors arrived in the Middle East, according to CENTCOM.

Iranian military commanders issue direct threats against US naval forces Ghalibaf's statements were echoed by senior Iranian military figures. Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, commander of the Iranian navy, declared he would attack the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln if it came within range, according to the Nour News agency, adding that the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman are under full Iranian naval control. General Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned through the semi-official Mehr agency that American soldiers would face "humiliating captivity" in the event of a ground operation or attempt to seize Iranian islands.

„The warriors of Islam have long been waiting for events that will prove that aggression and occupation will lead to nothing but humiliating captivity, dismemberment and the disappearance of the aggressors, and American commanders and soldiers will become easy prey for the sharks of the Persian Gulf.” — Ebrahim Zolfaghari via Mehr agency

Iran has also closed the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict, cutting off oil and gas exports from Arab countries in the region. The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt met in Islamabad to discuss the economic consequences of the war, including supply chain disruption, threats to food security, rising oil prices, and problems in international shipping. Analysts cited in reports noted that the US administration faces a strategic dilemma between escalation and a negotiated agreement, with one former US intelligence official, Jonathan Panikoff, stating that "the president has only bad options to choose from."

Operation Epic Fury, the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, began on February 28, 2026, on the orders of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. Iran responded to the strikes by attacking Israel and several Persian Gulf countries and closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 percent of global oil and LNG supplies pass. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement joined the fighting, attacking Israel for the first time since the start of the conflict, and incidents were also recorded in Iraq.

Netanyahu orders Lebanon buffer zone expanded as Polish soldier wounded On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had ordered the Israeli army to further expand the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon, delivering the statement in a recording made at the base of the Northern Command of the Israel Defense Forces.

„I have just ordered the further expansion of the existing buffer security zone. We are determined to completely change the situation in the north.” — Benjamin Netanyahu via wnp.pl

Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported that Israeli attacks in the country have killed 1,238 people, including 124 children, and wounded 3,315. The death toll from Saturday and Sunday alone amounted to 49 people, the ministry said. On Sunday, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that a Polish soldier serving with the PKW UNIFIL mission was slightly wounded in Lebanon after a mine explosion beneath a military patrol vehicle. The World Health Organization reported that 10 medics were among those affected by the conflict in Lebanon, according to the source article, though the full figure was not provided in available reporting.

1,238 (people killed) — Lebanese death toll from Israeli attacks, per Health Ministry

Key events — Operation Epic Fury, Day 30: — ; — ; — ; —