Iran warns US against ground invasion, threatens attacks on bases

Iran will strike US military bases in the region and American vessels if Washington launches a ground invasion of the country, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander warned on Sunday.

Ali Fadavi, head of the advisory group to the IRGC commander-in-chief, issued the warning while appearing on Iranian state television late Sunday.

“If the Americans launch a ground attack, then we will target every location related to the Americans, American bases and every vessel related to the Americans,” he said.

Fadavi said the United States understood military force, arguing that Americans “understand missiles hitting their warships” and “missiles hitting their bases.”

He also claimed Iran was producing military equipment at a faster rate than it was being used, saying the country’s military capabilities had increased significantly compared with the previous two wars, according to a report by Anadolu news agency.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Fadavi said Iran and Oman should establish and enforce rules governing the strategic waterway.

He added that such rules had already been prepared and were being implemented.

Fadavi further warned that US vessels would be vulnerable to Iranian attacks if Washington deployed them to the region.

“The Americans can only create tensions through the air, and certainly an increase in tensions will be to the detriment of the Americans,” he said.

He also rejected accusations that Iran had attacked regional Muslim countries, saying Tehran had instead targeted US military bases located in those countries.

His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and increased US military activity in the region.

The United States has moved additional naval and military assets towards the Middle East, including carrier and amphibious forces, while strengthening air and missile defences at bases and other facilities in the region.

The deployments come as the military confrontation between Washington and Tehran continues, with Iran repeatedly warning that US bases and naval assets across the region could be targeted in response to attacks on Iranian territory.