The spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, issued a direct threat on Monday against a possible U.S. ground intervention, stating that there are Iranians eagerly awaiting the arrival of Washington's soldiers to confront them, according to reported by EFE agency.
"There are people in those same areas, and they are not few, who are counting down the minutes to welcome these individuals," Baqaei stated at a press conference in response to President Donald Trump's repeated threats regarding a possible takeover of the Iranian island of Jark.
The diplomat was decisive in adding: "You will see the consequences."
The island of Jark, located about 25 kilometers off the Iranian coast, accounts for 90% of the country's crude oil exports and has become the strategic epicenter of the conflict between the two powers.
Trump has mentioned several times the possibility of a ground operation to take physical control of the island. Last Tuesday, he stated to Fox News: "If we can degrade their capabilities enough and reach deep into their structure, I would do it."
On July 13, when directly asked if he ruled out the deployment of ground troops, the president replied emphatically, "No."
Baqaei's statements come as the U.S. completes its ninth consecutive day of bombings against Iranian territory, with over 300 military targets struck since the offensive resumed on July 8.
That new escalation began after the ceasefire of the Islamabad Memorandum, signed in June, was broken when Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on July 6 and 7.
Trump then declared the ceasefire over and ordered a new wave of massive attacks.
Iran responded by attacking U.S. military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, and completely closed the Strait of Hormuz, warning that it would fire on any vessel attempting to cross it.
The Pentagon has developed plans for a possible land offensive in Jark, although they have shelved them several times due to their high-risk nature.
Iran, for its part, has reinforced the island with portable missile systems, antipersonnel mines, and anti-tank weapons in areas of possible landing.
The conflict between both countries began on February 28, 2026 with "Operation Epic Fury," a joint offensive with Israel that targeted over 500 Iranian sites, including nuclear facilities.
The escalation of the conflict already has direct economic repercussions in the United States: the price of gasoline has returned to four dollars per gallon this Monday, driven by uncertainty about the supply of Iranian oil.
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