West Asia conflict: Iran warns US troops would become ‘food for sharks’ if ground operation begins 

Iran’s military issued a sharp warning to US President Donald Trump against any ground operation in the Persian Gulf, saying American troops would “become food for the sharks” if they attempted an occupation amid the escalating conflict in West Asia. 

The warning came in a video statement by Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, who said Iranian forces were “counting down the moments” to respond if US troops were deployed on the ground. 

Iran warns of retaliation 

Zolfaqari said Iranian forces were prepared for a direct confrontation if Washington expanded the conflict beyond air and naval strikes. 

“Our forces are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,” said Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. 

Qalibaf added that Tehran’s military operations would continue despite mounting pressure. 

“Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased,” he said. 

Regional diplomacy intensifies 

The warnings came as regional powers met in Islamabad, Pakistan, to discuss possible diplomatic pathways to end the month-long war in the Middle East. 

The meeting brought together foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, signalling growing regional concern over the expanding conflict. 

Asif Durrani, a senior defence analyst in Pakistan, said mediation efforts were gaining traction. 

“Dialogue, not pressure, is the only path to durable peace and stability,” he said, noting that multiple regional players were now backing diplomatic engagement. 

US troop movements and Houthi involvement 

The diplomatic push comes as about 2,500 US Marines arrived in the region, reinforcing American military deployments in the Persian Gulf. 

At the same time, Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen have entered the conflict, widening the scope of the fighting and raising fears of a broader regional war. 

Civilians feel impact of conflict 

Meanwhile, civilians are increasingly feeling the economic and humanitarian toll of the war. 

Iranians crossing into southern Iraq on March 29 urged the United States to halt the conflict, citing relentless airstrikes, rising prices and deteriorating living conditions. 

One of them, 30-year-old Atef al-Fatlawi, told the Associated Press that her family had crossed from the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz into Iraq through the Shalamcha border crossing in Basra. 

“A message to America: Stop the war,” she said, adding that soaring food prices had forced her to cross the border to buy groceries such as rice, which had become cheaper in Iraq. 

Al-Fatlawi said an explosion near her home had shattered windows and frightened her young child, highlighting the growing anxiety among civilians living near strike zones. 

Missile arsenal largely intact 

Despite weeks of strikes targeting Iran’s missile infrastructure, US forces have only destroyed about a third of Tehran’s missile and drone arsenal, according to a report by Reuters. 

The report said roughly another third of Iran’s missiles may be damaged or buried in underground tunnels and bunkers, suggesting a significant portion of the country’s strategic arsenal remains intact. 

The assessment raises questions about the effectiveness of the campaign aimed at degrading Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and underscores the risk of prolonged military escalation in the region.