Iran warns of ground invasions of UAE and Kuwait if U.S. resumes bombing
On Oct. 13, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei warned that Tehran could move ground forces into the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait if the United States resumed its aerial bombing campaign.
The threat, reported by Gulf officials and cited in a Wall Street Journal article, escalates a pattern of Iranian rhetoric that pairs diplomatic warnings with concrete steps to expand its defensive posture.
Satellite imagery released by the Institute for Science and International Security shows earthen barriers and other makeshift defenses erected around the Pickaxe Mountain and Natanz nuclear sites, as well as fortifications along Iran’s western borders. The imagery suggests Tehran is preparing its sensitive facilities for potential attacks and readying avenues for ground operations.
"The pulse of the American economy in this region runs through our part of the world," Rezaei told state broadcaster Press TV.
Beyond hardening nuclear sites, Iran has intensified a civilian insurgency campaign. The Basij paramilitary organization has been dispatched to kindergartens to deliver wartime messages, while public rallies promote training in shoulder‑fired anti‑aircraft weapons. Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Jalali, who oversees Iran’s civil‑defense preparations, said the country’s airports, seaports and power plants have been readied for wartime conditions.
Iranian officials have also signaled a willingness to target U.S.‑linked infrastructure. Rezaei valued American‑linked undersea cables, data centers and AI facilities at more than $2 trillion, warning that these assets could become targets if hostilities resume.
Meanwhile, attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz have surged, with October recording a record number of incidents. U.S. forces are bolstering their regional presence, adding a third aircraft carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary unit to the Persian Gulf.
Regional leaders warned that a ground incursion would dramatically widen the conflict, threatening the security of Gulf economies and global oil markets. The next steps remain unclear as Washington weighs its options ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
