Iran Issues Grim Warning to Any U.S. Troops Deployed For War

Iran is promising “fire” and to “punish” U.S. troops as the military builds up its presence in the Middle East for a possible ground incursion to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

The New York Times reported that the U.S. now has about 50,000 troops in the region. That is about 10,000 more than the military typically has in the region.

In an interview with the Financial Times, President Trump said that the U.S. was considering taking Kharg Island, an export hub and strategic point in the Strait of Hormuz.

“To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people,” Trump told the newspaper.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, took note of the U.S. troop deployments and promised to inflict massive casualties on any ground forces entering Iranian territory, CBS News reported.

The network cited Iranian’s state-controlled media which quoted Ghalibaf as saying that Iranian forces are “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever.”

“Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased,” Ghalibaf said, according to CBS News.

The Strait of Hormuz has increasingly become a focus for the Trump administration. About 20 percent of the world’s supply is normally transported through the strait, however shipping has ground to a near halt since the Iran war began on February 28. The strait borders southern Iran and ships passing through it are vulnerable to drone and missile strikes.