Iran Warns US Ground Troops Would Be 'Food for Sharks' as West Asia Tensions Rise
Iran Warns US Ground Troops Would Be 'Food for Sharks' as West Asia Tensions Rise
Iran vows retaliation if US ground forces enter the Persian Gulf, while regional diplomats seek a path to dialogue in Islamabad.
Iran's military issued a sharp warning to the United States against any ground operation in the Persian Gulf, saying American troops would be 'become food for the sharks' if they attempted an occupation amid the widening conflict in West Asia. The warning came in a video statement by Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, who said Iranian forces were counting down the moments to respond if US troops were deployed on the ground. He added that Iranian forces would set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever if ground ops began.
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf reinforced the resolve, saying Tehran's military operations would continue amid mounting pressure, with missiles in place and determination strengthened.
Diplomatic efforts intensified as regional powers gathered in Islamabad to discuss pathways to end the month-long war in the Middle East. Foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signaled a push for dialogue as the route to durable peace, with analysts suggesting mediation efforts were gaining traction and that dialogue, not pressure, could shape any lasting settlement.
In Washington, officials have warned of potential escalation while regional intelligence notes that the United States has reportedly destroyed about a third of Tehran's missile and drone arsenal after weeks of air and naval strikes, underscoring the risk that the battlefield could widen.
The diplomatic push continues as regional players balance security concerns with the dangers of a broader conflict. Tehran has signaled it will retaliate to any incursion, complicating efforts to calm tensions and keep regional actors aligned toward dialogue.
