"Based on some intelligence reports, Iran's enemies are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands with support from one of the regional states," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's Parliament Speaker wrote in an X post.
"Our forces are monitoring all enemy movements, and if they take any step, all the vital infrastructure of that regional state will be targeted with relentless, unceasing attacks."
The remarks came as Donald Trump ordered thousands of airborne troops and additional marines to the Gulf, fuelling speculation that the United States may be preparing for a ground operation to either seize Iranian oil assets in the Gulf or take over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Two Marine Expeditionary Units, which specialize in rapid-response amphibious landings, raids, and assault missions from Navy amphibious ships, have recently deployed to the Middle East. Those units include several thousand Marines along with amphibious warships, aviation assets, and landing craft.
Approximately 1,000 US soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are also expected to deploy to the region in the coming days.
One potential target repeatedly cited in US discussions is Kharg Island, which handles the vast majority of Iran’s crude exports. Trump has previously described it as a “little oil island that sits there, so totally unprotected."
According to CNN, Iran has been laying traps and moving additional military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in recent weeks in preparation for a possible US operation to take control of the island.
"The island has layered defenses, and the Iranians have moved additional shoulder-fired, surface-to-air guided missile systems known as MANPADs there in recent weeks," sources told the US network.
The US military had already targeted Kharg with strikes on 13 March, with the Central Command (CENTCOM) claiming that 90 targets had been hit, including "naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites."
Earlier on Wednesday, an unnamed Iranian military official told local media that Iran would target shipping in the Red Sea in the event of a ground invasion, which would dramatically widen the conflict and disrupt global trade.
Iran arms and supports the Houthis in Yemen, which have previously targeted shipping travelling through the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, a conduit to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
"If the enemy attempts a ground operation on Iranian islands or anywhere else on our territory, or if it seeks to impose costs on Iran through naval manoeuvres in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, we will open other fronts as a 'surprise'," the official told Tasnim news agency.
"The Bab El-Mandeb Strait is among the most strategic straits in the world, and Iran has both the will and the capability to pose a fully credible threat against it," the official said.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which lies off Iran, has slowed to a trickle because of the conflict, disrupting roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies.
Crude prices have spiked to around $100 a barrel as a result of what the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called "the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market".
On Wednesday, Tehran signaled that "non-hostile vessels" may transit the waterway if they comply with safety and security regulations in coordination with the relevant authorities.
As military tensions rise, diplomatic efforts appear increasingly strained. The White House has insisted that talks are continuing, even as Iranian officials have effectively rejected the framework being advanced by Washington.
“Talks continue. They are productive,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt, while acknowledging that reports of a 15-point US proposal contained “elements of truth” but were “not entirely factual”.
According to multiple reports, the proposal included sweeping demands that Iran abandon its nuclear programme and dismantle its ballistic missile arsenal. Iranian officials have dismissed those conditions as unrealistic and unacceptable.
A high-ranking diplomatic source said the proposal was “maximalist and unreasonable,” adding that it was “not beautiful even on paper” and “deceptive and misleading” in its presentation. Another official said Tehran’s initial response had been “not positive”, while stressing that the country would continue to defend itself.
Iran has outlined its own conditions for ending the war. These include an immediate halt to the aggression, including strikes and assassinations; guarantees against renewed conflict; and mechanisms for compensation and reparations for war-related damage.
Iran has also demanded recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz as a “natural and legal right'.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said later that Tehran wanted to end the war on its own terms and in a way that ensured no further attacks by the United States and Israel.
"We seek an end to the war on our own terms, of course, and in a way that it will not be repeated here again," Araghchi told state TV.
At the same time, he said Iran did not plan to negotiate with the United States and intended to keep fighting.
"At present, our policy is the continuation of resistance", Araghchi said, adding: "We do not intend to negotiate -- so far, no negotiations have taken place, and I believe our position is completely principled."
"Speaking of negotiations now is an admission of defeat," he said.
"These were presented in the form of various ideas, all of which have been conveyed to the senior officials of the country, and if it is necessary for a position to be taken, it will certainly be decided."
Araghchi said that messages were "being exchanged through friendly countries or through certain different individuals" but insisted that "this is neither called dialogue nor negotiation".
The foreign minister also said that while Iran might be able to secure security guarantees ratified by the UN Security Council, Tehran had created its own guarantees in the way it fought the war.
He added, "in this war, we showed the world that no one can provoke the Islamic Republic, and in fact we created a security shield for ourselves so that the whole world understood that provoking the Islamic Republic and playing with our interests carries heavy consequences."
The war began on 28 February, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, disrupting ongoing negotiations over its nuclear programme. Since then, it has expanded into a broader confrontation, with Iran retaliating against US military assets in the region and carrying out strikes on Israel.
The early days of the war were marked by a dramatic escalation, including the assassination of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, an event that sent shockwaves through the region and raised fears of a wider war.
Washington has declined to clarify whom it is engaging with in Tehran, amid reports that figures such as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf could be playing a role. Tehran insists no formal negotiations are underway and Ghalibaf himself has denied acting as an intermediary.
Indirect channels remain active, with Pakistan emerging as a potential mediator.
The White House has nevertheless warned that President Donald Trump is ready to "unleash hell" if there is no deal.
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