A senior Iranian official has claimed that Tehran has spent decades preparing for, and would welcome, a US ground invasion, as fresh explosions hit the region on the eighth consecutive day of renewed US-Iran strikes. Seyed Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian-American academic described as a regime mouthpiece, made the remarks while also claiming Iran had launched a "new missile" and had worked to decentralise and bury its military capabilities. The comments come amid an intensifying exchange of strikes between the US and Iran, with US Central Command reporting continued attacks on Iranian military and coastal targets.

CENTCOM said its forces had struck surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage and maritime capabilities as part of the eighth consecutive night of strikes on Iran. The escalation follows a period of rising tension, including reports of US troop casualties in the region and warnings from US officials about the risks of a wider conflict. Marandi's defiant framing suggests Tehran is seeking to project confidence and deterrence rather than concede weakness as US pressure continues.