Iranian Parliament Speaker: Our Men Await US Troops' Arrival on Site to Set Them on Fire

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the United States is planning a ground attack, the Times of Israel reported.

"The enemy is publicly sending 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 awaiting the arrival of US troops on site to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all," he added.

Israel is believed to have removed Ghalibaf from its list of potential Iranian targets. He is reportedly the "main man" with whom US President Donald Trump said last week he was indirectly negotiating terms for a potential end to the conflict.

The US Central Command said yesterday that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli had arrived in the Middle East.

The ship is believed to be the flagship of a contingent of "approximately 3,500" Marines and sailors.

The group also includes "transport and strike fighters, as well as amphibious strike and tactical assets," the report said.