IRGC Aerospace Chief Says Country More Prepared Than Ever against Enemies

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, told the Iranian lawmakers that the country’s defense power has significantly improved.

“Today we are stronger and more prepared than ever,” Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

“No military threat against the country has a real basis,” he added.

Hajizadeh highlighted Iran’s capabilities in missile and drone systems, pointing to last year’s retaliatory strikes against the Israeli-occupied territories as evidence of growing deterrence.

He described Iran’s Operation True Promise II last year as the “largest missile operation in the world,” saying more than 75% of the missiles hit their designated targets.

“This success sent a strong message to the enemies, especially the Israeli regime,” Hajizadeh said.

Rezaei cited Hajizadeh as saying that the recent propaganda suggesting Iran's defense capabilities are on the wane had been created by Israeli and Western media.

 “The enemies are trying to deceive public opinion by portraying a weakened image of the Islamic Republic,” he said. “Iran's military power has not only not decreased, it has increased compared to the past.”

He added, “Iran's enemies are now more vulnerable than ever in the face of Iran's offensive capabilities and are unable to inflict damage on the country's defense structure.”

The IRGC launched Operation True Promise I days after Israel’s April 1, 2024, strike on Iran’s diplomatic compound in Syria, which killed seven Iranian personnel, including two generals.

In response to subsequent Israeli aggressions, Iran fired a second wave of missile strikes on October 1, 2024, targeting Israeli military and intelligence sites.

That attack, named Operation True Promise II, was in retaliation for the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan.

Iranian officials stated that only a limited portion of the country’s firepower was used in both operations.

Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, reaffirmed in March that Iran remains steadfast in its commitment to launch Operation True Promise III against the Israeli regime in response to acts of aggression against the country by Tel Aviv.

The official indicated that the operation would be carried out in due course at Ayatollah Khamenei’s discretion and based on the Leader’s prudence.