An Iranian lawmaker said Tehran is ready for a potential ground conflict with the United States, according to Iranian media.
Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani said Iran has strong ground forces and is “waiting for a ground conflict to show the peak of our power.”
He added that Donald Trump is in a position where whether he continues the war or withdraws, “he has lost in any case.”
As the war enters its fifth week, tensions between Tehran and Washington are rising, with both sides sending mixed signals over diplomacy and the risk of further escalation.
At the diplomatic level, reports suggest indirect contacts are continuing, even as the gap between public rhetoric and behind-the-scenes diplomacy appears wider than ever.
In Tehran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has emerged as a key voice. Reportedly playing a leading role in managing indirect contacts with Washington, he has maintained a consistently hard line.
In a four-page message issued on March 29 to mark the 30th day of the war, he dismissed recent US diplomatic messaging, including reports of a 15-point proposal, as unrealistic. He said Washington was trying “to achieve through talks what it could not win on the battlefield.”
Ghalibaf accused the United States of duplicity, saying Washington was publicly speaking of negotiations while privately preparing for escalation. He warned that Iranian forces were ready to inflict heavy losses on any US troops attempting a ground operation, as well as on their regional allies.
He also argued that US and Israeli objectives had already been scaled back. According to him, their objectives had shifted “from regime change to merely securing the Strait of Hormuz,” and disruptions to shipping had forced Iran’s adversaries to “beg” for talks.
Iranian military officials echoed the same defiant tone. A military spokesperson said on Sunday that Iranian forces had long awaited a possible US ground operation and warned Donald Trump not to “drag his soldiers into the jaws of captivity and death and not to plunge the American people into widespread mourning.”
Senior political figures reinforced the same line. First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref said negotiations over key issues such as the Strait of Hormuz would be possible only if Iran’s adversaries “pledge not to invade and recognize Iran’s international rights.”
On social media, pro-government users in Iran also largely rejected the idea of compromise. One post on X said: “There continues to be no form of negotiation or message exchange between Iran and America… Iran's decision is to continue the war until the complete achievement of objectives.”
Washington: Optimism and threats
By contrast, Washington has projected a mix of cautious optimism and mounting threats.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that indirect contacts with Iranian figures were continuing through intermediaries.
He said some figures within Iran’s leadership were “saying some of the right things privately,” but added that it was still unclear whether they had the authority to act.
Trump, however, has struck a much more aggressive tone. While insisting that talks are going “extremely well,” he has repeatedly threatened military action, including strikes on critical infrastructure.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, he wrote: “If for any reason a deal is not shortly reached… we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island.”
He also suggested the United States could maintain a presence there, adding to the pressure behind his warnings.
Claims and counterclaims
Trump has also said that Iran recently allowed 20 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz “as a tribute” to the United States.
He said the permit was granted under the authority of Ghalibaf, whom he portrayed as playing an increasingly influential role within Iran’s power structure.
Iranian officials have not publicly confirmed the claim.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said he was dealing with a “very reasonable” new group in Iran and suggested an agreement could be near. He also claimed Tehran had already accepted “most of the points” in his proposed framework.
Last week, Elias Hazrati, head of Iran’s government information council, dismissed reports of a US peace proposal as “media speculations” and a “wish list.”
Information warfare and market signals
Beyond the military and diplomatic rhetoric, both sides appear to be engaged in a parallel battle over information and perception.
In a widely shared English-language post, Ghalibaf accused Trump of trying to move financial markets through strategic messaging. He advised observers to treat such statements as reverse signals, writing: “Do the opposite: If they pump it, short it. If they dump it, go long.”
The post, which drew around 10 million views by Monday, showed Tehran’s awareness of what it sees as US information warfare aimed at influencing market volatility.
Online reactions reflected the same view. One Iranian user commented: “They’re playing mind games with the American public to crash the market. And honestly, they’re playing it well. Extremely, extremely well.”
One desalination unit on Iran’s Qeshm Island is fully out of service after an earlier US air strike, an Iranian health official said.
Drinking water on the island depends on desalination plants, and the damaged unit cannot be repaired in the short term, the official said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on March 7 that a US strike hit the facility, disrupting water supplies to dozens of villages.
Anyone endangering national security by providing intelligence to the adversaries, including through photography or filming, can face execution and seizure of assets, Iran’s judiciary spokesperson said on Tuesday.
"People who take photos or videos of damaged sites and share them are effectively confirming whether strikes hit their targets," Asghar Jahangir said, describing the move as intelligence cooperation with the enemy.
Meanwhile, police intelligence in Khuzestan, southern Iran, said 138 people were arrested over the past 72 hours on accusations of links to what authorities describe as “hostile media” outlets.
Authorities said the detainees had allegedly made phone calls, taken photos and videos of targeted sites, and sent the material to outlets including Iran International.
The head of US Central Command met Israel’s military chief during a visit on March 29-30, the command said in a readout.
Commander Brad Cooper held talks with Eyal Zamir on operations aimed at limiting Iran’s ability to project power beyond its borders and stressed continued US-Israel coordination.
Cooper also visited US troops deployed in support of Operation Epic Fury and awarded more than 40 service members for their performance, the statement said.
A 2025 satellite image suggests Iran may have moved highly enriched uranium into an underground site near Isfahan shortly before Israeli and US strikes, Le Monde reported.
Experts said the convoy seen outside the tunnel complex could be carrying nuclear material, with one saying it showed “something being taken into the tunnels just before the start of the June war.”
Another said, “the best match is that the barrels contain 60% enriched uranium,” though analysts noted it was not possible to confirm the cargo with certainty.