Iran Threatens Ground War as US Weighs Next Move
General Asadi says Tehran prays for direct clash with US, while Hezbollah warns war is not over.
Iran Threatens Ground War as US Weighs Next Move — A senior Iranian military general, Asadi, stated that Tehran is ready for a prolonged confrontation with the United States, including a direct ground clash. 'We pray for this,' he said, according to a report[^1]. The statement comes as the US and UK consider creating an international naval force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with a British security official telling the Financial Times on Saturday that the situation there 'is grave and about to escalate'[^2]. Meanwhile, Lebanese parliament member and Hezbollah representative Nauf al-Musawi declared the full readiness of militants in southern Lebanon to resume hostilities. 'The war is not over,' he said[^3]. The threats coincide with reports that Iran is exploiting illegal migration routes to infiltrate covert agents into Britain via the English Channel. An Iranian source was quoted as saying: 'We have people right there in London… they are waiting for us to tell them what to do. We haven't done that yet, but we can easily make London unsafe for you if we want.'[^4] A summit in London is being discussed for early next week, to which defense ministers and military commanders from 40 countries may be invited[^2]. The US, meanwhile, is unsure where to find money for a war with Iran, according to Bloomberg[^5]. The question now is whether Washington will attempt to match Tehran's escalatory rhetoric with concrete action, or seek a diplomatic off-ramp. Likud slides, Yashar! surges as Israeli election race tightens — At Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, opened his campaign rally by accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz of deliberately turning Judea and Samaria into a powder keg on the eve of elections.[^1] The charge came as a new poll showed Likud dropping to 20 seats — its lowest since June 2025 — while Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar! party reached 23 seats and Naftali Bennett's Together party strengthened to 17.[^2] Yisrael Beiteinu gained 10, and the Democratic Party held 11; the list of Hili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel failed to pass the electoral threshold, garnering only 2.9%.[^3] Net