Iran’s leaders have been making statements in the recent period indicating that, while the shooting stopped on June 24, they believe that the U.S./Israeli war is not over and that Iran must be prepared for the war to resume at any time. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a speech on Sunday, Aug. 24, said Iran’s adversaries have realized from “their bitter defeats in military attacks” and from the “firm resistance and unity of the Iranian nation, officials, and Armed Forces,” that neither the people nor the Islamic Republic can be subdued by war or forced into obedience, reported Tasnim News. That is why Iran’s enemies now pursue their objectives through creating discord in Iran, he warned. Khamenei emphasized that all people, officials, thinkers, and writers bear a responsibility to preserve and strengthen the “steel shield of the nation’s sacred and great unity.”
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh warned in a TV interview on Friday night, Aug. 22, that Iran possesses a previously unused instrument, advising Iran’s enemies not to miscalculate or provoke a response. “We definitely have a tool that has not been used so far. We did not employ our advanced equipment in the recent imposed war, one of which was missiles,” he said. He apparently did not further describe that “previously unused instrument,” but the implication is that it is far more powerful than anything Iran has used in warfare so far.
Nasirzadeh also highlighted the country’s new missile achievements, saying, “Over the past year, we have tested advanced missiles equipped with maneuverable warheads.” He explained that the new warheads can change course upon entry and do not have to follow a fixed trajectory. “This new technology allows them to bypass multilayered enemy defense systems, such as THAAD and Patriot.”
