Amid reports of US deployment of paratroopers in the Middle East, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday said that Tehran is closely monitoring American activities in the region.
“We are closely monitoring all US movements in the region, especially troop deployments,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X.
He further asserted that the American troops are being misled by the leadership and will suffer the consequences.
“What the generals have broken, the soldiers can’t fix; instead, they will fall victim to Netanyahu’s delusions,” he said, implying that Israel may be influencing the decision-making of the Donald Trump Administration.
The Iranian Parliament Speaker warned the United States against testing Tehran’s patience. “Do not test our resolve to defend our land,” he added.
His remarks came after reports claimed that the United States is poised to deploy airborne troops to the Middle East despite Donald Trump’s claims of “very good and productive” talks with Iran to end the war.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the US is sending a combat team of up to 3,000 paratroopers from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.
The move appears to signal Trump’s strategy to deploy boots on the ground in Iran to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route blocked by Iran in response to US and Israeli attacks.
The troop deployment is also seen by many as an attempt to put pressure on Iran during the ongoing ceasefire negotiations. Some believe it could be Trump’s Plan B in case ceasefire talks derail.
The US has reportedly handed over a 15-point proposal to Iran to end the conflict. While Iran has denied having been engaged in negotiations with the US, reports have claimed that Trump’s envoys are speaking to the leadership in Iran through intermediaries.