Srilanka, March 29 -- Iranian armed forces are waiting for a ground invasion by US troops and are ready to "set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever" speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.

Ghalibaf accused the US of speaking of negotiations in public while planning a ground invasion in private, according to state media.

It follows speculation that Pentagon officials are preparing for potential ground operations in Iran, which could last for weeks, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Thousands of US marines arrived in the region aboard the USS Tripoli on Saturday, according to US Central Command.

"The America class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Am...