Iranian Official Says Tehran Welcomes U.S. Ground Invasion, Unveils New Missile

Tehran has spent decades preparing for—and possibly welcoming—a U.S. ground invasion, a senior Iranian official said, as fresh explosions rattled the region on the eighth day of renewed U.S.–Iran strikes.

Seyed Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian-American academic often labeled a regime mouthpiece, also said Tehran had just unveiled a new missile while dispersing and burying its arsenal deep underground to endure sustained American air strikes.

“The Americans are planning an invasion. I’m not asserting it will happen, nor that it will occur in the next few days—but they do have invasion plans,” Marandi, a former adviser to Iran’s nuclear negotiation team, told political analyst Glenn Diesen in an interview.

“I’ve studied military strategy. Trump now faces Iran’s oldest battlefield trick.”

Seyed Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian-American academic often described as a regime mouthpiece, said Tehran had recently launched a new missile. (Akila Jayawardena/Nur Photo via Getty Images)

“Whether they follow through or not remains to be seen. But, as you noted, the focus of Iranian strikes is on Bahrain and Kuwait, where most U.S. assets earmarked for a ground invasion are located,” Diesen said.

Marandi’s remarks came as the fighting spread across western and southern Iran in the days leading up to Saturday.

Iran also fired missile and drone salvos at U.S.-linked facilities in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Jordanian officials said they intercepted 10 missiles early Saturday, while Kuwaiti authorities reported casualties and severe damage to a domestic power and desalination plant.

In response, U.S. airstrikes hit bridges, a crucial road tunnel, surveillance outposts and reinforced underground weapons depots.

Multiple explosions also shook Khorramabad in Iran’s Lorestan province. Iranian state media said the blasts resulted from U.S. missiles fired from bases in Kuwait, according to reports.

“Trump says Iran’s missiles ‘aren’t the problem’ after the White House made them central to the war rationale.”

Satellite image shows the second tunnel entrance and support buildings at the Khorramabad missile complex in Lorestan province, Iran, prior to the March airstrikes. (Vantor/Unknown)

Khorramabad hosts the Imam Ali Missile Base, one of Tehran’s primary underground silo facilities designed to store and launch liquid‑fueled Shahab‑3 medium‑range ballistic missiles, according to the Washington‑based Nuclear Threat Initiative.

The complex suffered damage from Israeli airstrikes during the 2025 campaign aimed at Tehran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.

Marandi also described what he called a resilient, subterranean network that lies at the heart of Tehran’s military strategy.

“When Iran wants to launch missiles or drones, it doesn’t keep them in buildings or stockpiles. It pulls out what it needs,” Marandi said. “It fires them, then returns to base—or retrieves other missiles and drones, disperses them across different locations, and spaces them apart so the United States cannot strike many at once.”

He added: “Everything has been dispersed across Iran and buried underground.”

The latest escalation between the United States and Iran terminated a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) intended to establish a 60‑day cease‑fire and facilitate nuclear talks.

The core issue remains control of the Strait of Hormuz, which has become the principal battleground of the conflict.

“Trump’s 60‑day Iran deal hits the halfway point as the cease‑fire collapses into escalating war.”

Marandi said the IRGC introduced a new missile into the conflict. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump ordered renewed airstrikes within weeks of the truce—or MOU—taking effect, and on July 14 he raised the prospect of a ground campaign.

According to Marandi, Iran’s military leadership is banking on a ground conflict and has since fielded a new weapon in the theater.

“Iran enjoys that advantage, and it has been stockpiling missiles and drones for decades—continuing to do so even today,” Marandi claimed.

“I believe they unveiled a new missile last night,” he said, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“The Iranians are striking hard and are ready for a land war; they have been preparing for decades.”

Marandi concluded by asserting that Tehran sees a U.S. ground operation as the most direct route to ending the conflict on its own terms.

“The Iranians—as we discussed during the 40‑day war on your program—actually want the United States to launch a land invasion, and that remains true today because they believe they would prevail if such an invasion occurred,” he told Diesen.

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