Iran’s top military official says the country has strengthened its deterrence by upgrading domestically manufactured ballistic missiles.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi made the remarks on Wednesday during a visit to an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) missile town.
“By upgrading its ballistic missiles in all technical dimensions, Iran has been able to strengthen its deterrence power,” he said during the visit, accompanied by Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force.
Mousavi also expressed Iran’s readiness to confront any act of aggression by its enemies.
“Following the 12-day war, we have changed our military doctrine from defensive to offensive by adopting the policy of asymmetric warfare and [boosting readiness for a] crushing response to the enemies,” the top general said.
He was referring to the illegal US-Israeli aggression against Iran that killed at least 1,064 people last June.
Israel launched the unprovoked war on June 13 while Iran was engaged in nuclear talks with the US, which also joined the aggression by striking Iranian nuclear sites.
In response, Iranian armed forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories and at Al-Udeid, the largest US military installation in West Asia.
Iran has since moved to enhance both its defensive and offensive capabilities.
The region is once again bracing for another potential military confrontation after the United States deployed air and naval forces to the region and threatened to attack the Islamic Republic.
Iranian officials have warned that any US attack would prompt an immediate response and could ignite a regional war.
Tensions have eased slightly as regional countries launched a flurry of diplomatic efforts to prevent war. Iranian and US diplomats are now set to meet in Oman on Friday for a new round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.
Earlier this week, General Mousavi warned that any miscalculation by the Islamic Republic’s enemies would trigger a “rapid” and “decisive” response.
Iranian Armed Forces are prepared to respond forcefully to threats, he added. “We think only of victory. We have no fear of the enemy’s superficial might, and we are fully ready for confrontation and to deliver a retaliatory slap.”
