Iran vows fierce response to any US ground operation

Iran has warned that any attempt by foreign forces to launch a ground operation against the country would be met with overwhelming military force, as tensions with the United States escalated following a new exchange of strikes and increasingly hostile rhetoric.

Speaking at a press briefing, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, acting Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said Iran's military, the Basij forces, and the public were fully prepared to defend the country against any invasion, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

"The enemy knows that if it commits such a foolish act, it will enter a real hell from which there will be no escape," Sayyari said. "No matter how loudly the enemy threatens, it will not dare to land forces on our territory."

His remarks came hours after US President Donald Trump declared that the recently signed memorandum of understanding with Tehran was effectively over, describing Iran's leadership as a "gang" and "madmen."

Addressing the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump also warned Iran against targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, saying any such action would prompt a US response "20 times stronger."

Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had carried out a series of "powerful" strikes against 80 targets in Iran in retaliation for attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, while also claiming to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Bushehr Province.

According to the IRGC, the operation targeted 85 military facilities, including Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, marking a further escalation in the confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

By Vafa Guliyeva