A senior official in Tehran has warned that intelligence reports suggest that “Iran’s enemies” ⁠are planning to occupy an Iranian island with support ‌from an unnamed country in the region.

⁠Iran’s ⁠parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Wednesday that any such attempt would be met with targeted attacks on the “vital infrastructure” of the regional country – which he did not name – that assists in the operation.

“Iranian forces are monitoring ⁠enemy movements, and ⁠if they take any step, we will ⁠attack vital ⁠infrastructure in ⁠that regional country in continuous and relentless attacks,” ‌Ghalibaf said in two separate posts on social media.

Ghalibaf’s warning comes as United States President Donald Trump continued to claim that the US was in negotiations with Iran to end the war – which Tehran has denied – while the White House also conveyed new threats against the Iranian leadership.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that Iran must accept defeat.

“If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” Leavitt said.

“President Trump does not bluff, and he is prepared to unleash hell,” Leavitt said.

Washington’s claims of peace talks while also threatening ever more punishing war against Iran come as the Pentagon sends thousands of airborne troops to the Gulf region, adding to two contingents of US Marines already on their way.

US media reports that approximately 2,000 soldiers from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division had been ordered to deploy to the region, while the first of two Marine Expeditionary Units – on board a huge ⁠amphibious assault ship – could arrive in the region in the next few days, according to reports.

‘US eye on Kharg Island’

Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said people in Iran are well aware of the continuing buildup of US ground troops and warships in the region, and “they know what it is going to lead to”.

“So right now, they are much more certain of a continuation of this war than an end to it, and they say they are preparing for it,” Vall said.

“They also are aware of the US eye on Kharg Island,” he said, adding that some believe that the parliamentary speaker’s earlier threat to a regional country – should it help in an island invasion – was aimed at the United Arab Emirates.

“According to some people explaining what he said, he’s referring here to the United Arab Emirates, that it might be cooperating with the US and encouraging it to take Kharg Island,” Vall said.

“Iranians over the last few days have been saying that they know that if this happens, they are sure that it will be very destructive to that country, the United Arab Emirates, and also the US troops,” he said.

“Kharg is a small, exposed island that is very close to the Iranian mainland. They are threatening that if US troops land on it, that will be the thing that [Iranians] are waiting for – and that it will be very detrimental to the safety of US troops,” he added.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed military source as saying on Wednesday that Iran could open a new front at the mouth of the Red Sea if military action takes place on “Iranian islands or anywhere else in our lands”.

The source told Tasnim that Iran has the capability to pose a “credible threat” in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, ⁠which lies between Yemen and Djibouti.

Tasnim later quoted an “informed source” claiming that Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, are prepared to play a role “if there is a need to control the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to further punish the enemy”.

Trump has in recent days repeatedly claimed progress in talks with Iran, and while Tehran has rejected that any negotiations with the US are taking place, there are signs of tentative diplomatic efforts, with mediators in the region saying work is ongoing behind the scenes to relay messages between the two sides.

The US has reportedly proposed a 15-point plan to end the fighting, while an Iranian official was quoted by local media as saying that Tehran has put forward its own five conditions for hostilities to end. (Al Jazeera)

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Powerful explosions were reported across central, southern and eastern Tehran, with Iranian air defence systems activated throughout the capital, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

The blasts come amid ongoing attacks targeting multiple locations in Iran.

In Khorramabad, west of Tehran, footage showed residents searching through debris of a destroyed building following an air attack.

The strike appeared to trigger a blackout in the area, with people using torches amid the damage. (Middle East Eye)

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The Sri Lankan Embassy in Iran has been temporarily relocated from Tehran due to the prevailing security situation, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament. Embassy officials have also been moved due to the situation, though all contact numbers remain operational.

In addition to embassy staff, eight Sri Lankan students who had been at the Embassy in Tehran have also been relocated to the northern part of Iran due to security concerns. Minister Herath noted that attacks had occurred in close proximity to the embassy premises, prompting the precautionary move.

Herath said that approximately 35 Sri Lankans remain in Iran, with those residing in Tehran currently facing heightened risks. In contrast, he said nearly 20,000 Sri Lankans are presently in Israel.

Making a special statement on the Iran–Israel conflict and its impact on Sri Lankans, Herath said the government has suspended the deployment of migrant workers to Israel, including those returning to existing jobs, citing safety concerns.

“We have already taken a decision to temporarily suspend sending migrant workers to Israel, even if they are employees returning to work, as their lives are more important than employment,” Herath said, adding that the decision has been formally conveyed to Israeli authorities.

Additionally, 10 Sri Lankans who were stranded in transit while attempting to travel to the Middle East have been assisted by Sri Lankan missions and have returned home safely.

The Minister said he had held discussions with all Sri Lankan missions in the Middle East to facilitate the return of expatriate workers if the war escalates further. (Newswire)

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