Iran ready to 'welcome' US ground invasion as tit-for-tat attacks continue

Iran ready to 'welcome' US ground invasion as tit-for-tat attacks continue Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 07/20/2026 - 11:34 Blasts reported across Iran as Revolutionary Guards unleash volley of strikes against US allies Smoke rises from an explosion at an unknown location, during what the US says are strikes on Iran, in this image dated 19 July (US Central Command/Reuters) Off Tehran has said it is ready to "welcome" an American ground invasion, as US central command (Centcom) reports its ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran after the deaths of American soldiers in Jordan and Iraq over the weekend. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the country's leadership is “counting down the minutes to welcome” US forces in any ground invasion. He added that the text of the Pakistan-brokered interim deal signed with the US in June is "completely clear", and that there is "no excuse" for Washington to violate the treaty.