Tehran has reportedly spent decades preparing for and welcoming a potential U.S. ground invasion, according to Seyed Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian-American academic frequently described as a regime mouthpiece. Marandi made the claims amid ongoing U.S.-Iran strikes, now in their eighth day, which have included fresh explosions in the region.

In an interview with political analyst Glenn Diesen, Marandi, a former adviser to Iran's nuclear negotiation team, said, "But they have plans for an invasion." He added that Iran believes it would win if a land invasion occurred, stating, "The Iranians... actually want the Americans to carry out a land invasion, and the same is true now, because they felt that if there was a land invasion, they would win."

Marandi also boasted that Tehran had recently launched a new missile while decentralizing and burying its arsenal deep underground to withstand sustained American air campaigns. The missile launch was noted alongside strikes hitting Khorramabad, which houses the Imam Ali Missile Base—one of Tehran's primary underground silo facilities designed to store and deploy liquid-fueled Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missiles, according to Washington’s Nuclear Threat Initiative. This complex was previously damaged by Israeli airstrikes during a 2025 campaign targeting Tehran's military and nuclear infrastructure.

Political analyst Glenn Diesen pointed out that the focus of Iranian strikes has been on Bahrain and Kuwait, locations where most American assets are reportedly positioned for a potential ground invasion. Jordanian officials confirmed intercepting 10 missiles early Saturday, while Kuwaiti authorities reported casualties and severe damage to a domestic power and desalination plant.

Marandi described Iran's missile and drone tactics, explaining that when Iran fires these weapons, they do not keep them stored in buildings or piles but instead spread them out in different areas to avoid large-scale bombing by American forces.

Sources