IRGC chief moots ground offensive against Israel

The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Hossein Salami ramped up his rhetoric against Israel on Thursday, hinting at the possibility of a ground operation just as Israel appears poised to launch a strike on Iran.

"We give the Zionist regime this message: look at the operations of Fath al-Mobin and Beit al-Moqaddas and see if it can stand against another Fath al-Mobin," Salami said, referencing grueling Iranian infantry campaigns from the nearly decade-long Iran-Iraq War which ended in 1988.

"If a ground operation begins, can it escape the scale of our Beit al-Moqaddas operation in 1982?" he added. The offensives were critical in forcing Iraqi forces out of southern Iran.

Iran launched two aerial bombardments against Israel this year, once in April and the next in October, in the first direct confrontation with its archenemy in the Islamic Republic's near 50-year history.

It has never fought Israel with ground troops.

Salami also dismissed the US-provided THAAD missile defense system, which has been deployed in Israel in anticipation of further escalation. "Do not rely on the THAAD missiles. They are limited, and you are depending on limited power," he said.

The US deployed 100 troops to the region this month, with President Joe Biden reaffirming his commitment to supporting Israel.

Israel, preparing for possible further conflict, has requested an additional THAAD system from the US, according to Israel's Channel 12. THAAD, designed to work alongside the Patriot system, can intercept threats at ranges of 93-124 miles.

Salami's remarks come as Israel prepares a retaliatory response to Iran's attack with 181 ballistic missiles earlier this month.

The Oct. 1 barrage was retaliation for Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last month and likely killing in July of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Although most missiles were intercepted, a few hit military and civilian targets, causing minor damage.

After Iran’s first attack in April, Israel responded with air strikes on an air defense site in central Iran. Following the latest missile volley, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran it had made a "big mistake" and promised a counterstrike.

The Biden administration later revealed that it had advised Israel not to target Iran's nuclear facilities, but tensions remain at boiling point as both sides prepare for further escalation.