Key Points and Summary – This week, Iran’s new top military commander, Major General Ali Abdollahi, claimed his forces are stronger than ever.
-This is likely propaganda that defies reality, noting Abdollahi himself replaced two predecessors killed in recent Israeli strikes.
-Despite the boasts, Iran’s air defenses have been degraded, relying on old equipment to replace destroyed systems.
-While Tehran touts its missile program, it lacks intercontinental range and faces imminent, crippling “snapback” sanctions.
-The commander’s claims appear to be an attempt to project strength rather than a reflection of actual military capability.
Iran Claims Its Forces Are Stronger Than Ever
Iranian media reported this week that Major General Ali Abdollahi, the recently appointed commander of the Khatan al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, claimed that Iranian forces are better prepared than at any other time.
Abdollahi – who was appointed to replace Major General Gholam Ali Rashid and Major General Ali Shadamani, both of whom were killed in Israeli strikes – made the claim in a statement marking the birthday of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
While his comments are in line with similar and more aggressive statements made by other Iranian officials, his words truly matter; Abdollahi’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters is the Iranian unified combatant command headquarters that oversees the coordination of military operations across all branches of its armed forces.
During the speech, Abdollahi praised the “sacred unity” of the Iranian people, while denouncing the “hostile objectives of the Zionist enemy and the United States against the country.”
Abdollahi claimed that the United States and Israel are ‘attempting to inflame the domestic atmosphere through psychological and media warfare, even as it grapples with internal, regional, and international challenges of its own.” Abdollahi’s comments were a clear reference to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza and the broad international objection to it.
But it was his claim that Iran is better prepared than ever to respond to future strikes on Iran, which analysts believe could be launched by Israel before the end of the year, that is most interesting.
“The Armed Forces are better prepared than before the recent imposed war and possess greater and more advanced capabilities,” he said.
Iran’s Big Boast
Much like every other Iranian official who has made this claim, Abdollahi did not specify the ways in which the Iranian military is better prepared than it was before the war.
Iran has not only failed to upgrade its air defense systems, but is leaning on old hardware only recently pulled out of storage to replace those systems destroyed by Israeli strikes.
However, recent reports could suggest that Abdollahi is referencing Iran’s burgeoning missile production empire.
While Iran is among the largest missile manufacturers in the Middle East, incoming “snapback” sanctions likely to be implemented within the next month, could spell the end for the expanding program.
Nonetheless, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeg announced earlier in August that Tehran possesses missiles more advanced than those used in the 12-Day War with Israel, and that the missiles are the product of more than 20 years of research and development.
Those missiles, however, are still limited in terms of their range – and without ICBMs, Iran’s military remains totally incapable of striking the United States from a distance further than 2,000 miles.
Abdollahi’s comments may well convey an image that the regime in Tehran wants to project to the world, but they arguably do not reflect reality.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York who writes frequently for National Security Journal. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
More Military
The M10 Booker Light Tank Is Dead
SR-72 Darkstar Might Never Fly
The U.S. Navy’s ‘Achilles Heel’: China’s Underwater Drones
The F-35 Has a ‘5-Year Late’ Problem
X-37B: Russia Thinks This is a Space Bomber