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Akbar Novruz

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The Wall Street Journal has reported that at least three Republican members of Congress, including the chairs of key Armed Services committees, are signaling that a potential U.S. ground operation in Iran could be under consideration, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the report, the lawmakers are strongly suggesting that preparations may already be underway, with the possibility that such an operation could begin in the near term.

Recent statements from senior Republicans indicate that while military operations are expanding, there is no unified public stance on deploying ground troops. For instance, Senate leadership has previously suggested that current operations are primarily focused on air and naval power, not a land invasion.

At the same time, classified briefings to Congress have left open the possibility of further escalation, with officials describing the situation as “rapidly evolving” and broad in scope.

The U.S. administration has yet issued no official confirmation regarding plans for a ground invasion.

United States President Donald Trump said Tehran is currently "negotiating" and insisted Iran wants to make a deal but is "afraid" to say so.

"They want to make a deal so badly, but they're afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people," Trump said at a Republican fundraiser dinner in Washington. "They're also afraid they'll be killed by us," he added. Trump also noted that "there's never been a head of a country that wanted that job less than being the head of Iran."

Iran dismissed a US-proposed peace plan on Wednesday, describing the demands as "excessive," and floated five conditions of its own, according to state broadcaster Press TV. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later said Trump is ready to "unleash hell" if Tehran doesn't accept defeat.