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3. Iran Parliament Speaker Says U.S. Plots Ground Attack Despite Diplomatic Efforts

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that the United States was plotting a ground attack despite publicly engaging in diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war. Yesterday, CENTCOM announced that the amphibious assault vessel USS Tripoli had joined the military concentration in the region.

"The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack," Ghalibaf said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

"Our men are waiting for the arrival of the American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all," he added.

Ghalibaf's defiant message comes after one month of regional war that was sparked on February 28 when Israel and the United States launched air strikes on Iran, killing its supreme leader and triggering a conflict that has spread across the Middle East.

Military Movements

On Saturday night, U.S. Central Command announced that “Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility, March 27,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The USS Tripoli serves as the flagship for an expeditionary force of about 3,500 sailors and Marines, along with transport and strike fighter aircraft and amphibious and tactical assets, the command said.

The move adds to a series of troop deployments in recent days and mounting reports that the U.S. plans to send ground forces into Iran. Recent reporting from the Washington Post saying the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations, citing U.S. officials.

Broader Picture

Shipping traffic in the vital Strait of Hormuz -- through which 20 percent of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes -- has been brought to a near-standstill by the conflict.

Ghalibaf called for unity among Iranians, saying the country was in "a major global war" that was "at its most critical stage".

"We are certain that we can punish the United States, make it regret attacking Iran, and firmly secure our legitimate rights," he said.