Following heavy strikes on Thursday evening, July 16, targeting areas in Khuzestan and Hormozgan, Amir-Hossein Sabeti, a member of the Paydari (Steadfastness) Front and a representative of Tehran in parliament, claimed that these attacks are likely a “prelude to a US ground invasion” of Iran’s southern islands.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that during its sixth night of airstrikes on southern Iran, it targeted coastal surveillance systems, air defences, military logistical infrastructure, and Iranian naval capabilities.
In a portion of an op-ed by Amir-Hossein Sabeti, published by the Fars News Agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he stated: “The destruction of transport and communication infrastructure” has been carried out with the aim of “occupying certain Iranian islands and key locations in the country.” According to him, this is designed so that “the enemy can achieve its goals more easily through separatist groups or heliborne operations and disrupt the movement of Iranian military forces.”
He concluded by claiming that, in the event of a ground assault against Iran, “the likelihood of high casualties for the enemy is extremely substantial.”
