Iran signals readiness for ‘US ground operations’ as MoU expires

What the report says

Iranian officials have signalled a more offensive posture toward the United States as a Memorandum of Understanding tied to the conflict expires, according to Al Jazeera. The report says Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, who heads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ political bureau, told state television that Iranian forces were prepared to take whatever action they judged necessary to defend the country, while warning of possible “strategic surprises.”

The article says the remarks come amid rising tension over the Strait of Hormuz and after US President Donald Trump repeated claims that the United States had defeated Iran and suggested the waterway would soon be treated as US territory. Iranian commanders and politicians responded by discussing possible retaliation against US and allied assets, including infrastructure, if Iranian civilian sites are hit. Al Jazeera also reports that hardline voices have floated the idea of ground action against US interests in places such as Bahrain and Kuwait, although analysts question the feasibility of such plans.

The piece places the rhetoric in the context of recent leadership changes inside Iran’s security apparatus and a period of fighting that began after US and Israeli strikes earlier in 2026. Iranian officials said defensive preparations have been reinforced around southern coastal areas and islands near the strait. Separately, Tehran said the expiry of the MoU does not by itself determine policy, and that talks involving Oman on partial reopening of Hormuz remain slowed by legal and technical issues. The developments matter because the strait is a major global energy corridor and a fresh escalation could further destabilize regional security.