As the United States continues to increase its troop presence in the Middle East, Iranian officials are signaling readiness for conflict while warning that a ground invasion would backfire.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf struck a defiant tone in a post on X Friday, questioning US military capabilities in the region. “How can the US, which can't even protect its own soldiers at its bases in the region ... protect them on our soil?” he wrote in English. 

World leaders share Tehran's concerns about a widening conflict. Speaking to reporters Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, “I have reasons to believe, also based on information we’ve received from our allies, that stabilization is unlikely in the coming days. On the contrary, a new escalation may occur.”  

His comments come amid mounting signs of a potential US military buildup. Washington has readied roughly 3,000 troops from a brigade combat team in the 82nd Airborne Division for deployment, while about 2,500 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit have been sent to the region over the past week. The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday that the Pentagon is weighing plans to deploy up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East.