Tehran, Iran \u2013 Iran\u2019s military is warning that if all-out war breaks out again with the United States and Israel, it will be longer and more costly than their rivals expect.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s armed forces could deploy new weapons and tactics against the US, Israel and other countries, which would be the third major conflict between the countries since June last year.<\/p>\n
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There have been increasing signs that the US and Israel\u2019s war on Iran, which began on February 28, could restart after the US midterm elections. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the war with Iran will end \u201cvery soon one way or the other\u201d and Tehran should agree a deal or \u201cthe hammer\u201d will come down.<\/p>\n
Hossein Kanani Moghaddam, a former senior IRGC commander, told Al Jazeera that despite extensive blows to the Iranian armed forces during US and Israeli strikes earlier this year, they are now in better operational shape compared with previous conflicts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of offence, our target database has significantly expanded, the range, accuracy and warheads of our missiles have improved and our drone capabilities have increased,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
New enemy assets were being identified and operations in additional geographical areas were being planned, he added. Arkaminia said that previously undisclosed capabilities and targets would be revealed \u2013 and used \u2013 if Iran is attacked again.<\/p>\n
Commanders from Iran\u2019s General Staff of Armed Forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Army are reported to have recently met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to discuss what steps will be taken if attacked again. The response will be immediate and could go beyond the West Asia region<\/a>, they said.<\/p>\n The IRGC was \u201c100 percent ready\u201d to confront another attack, spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said on Sunday evening, describing \u201cmaximum deterrence\u201d as a goal Iran would reach in the near future.<\/p>\n Army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said the commanders would\u00a0rely on \u201casymmetric warfare\u201d tactics that would compensate for the superiority of US military equipment.<\/p>\n He added that \u201csome weaponry was renovated and new equipment was added along with new tactics\u201d during the brief ceasefire period that came after the June memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US.<\/p>\n Last month, state television showed an underground drone production line. The authorities also showcased an upgraded version of the Arash attack drone and claimed that its warhead had doubled to 100kg with improved guidance.<\/p>\n According to a Reuters investigation published last week, numerous military agencies linked with Iran\u2019s defence establishment have evaded sanctions and funnelled billions into military imports to replenish the IRGC. The imports between January 2025 and June this year from China, Russia and Germany to fuel missile and drone production included rocket propellants, explosives, detonators, titanium and heavy-duty trucks that could be used as launchers.<\/p>\n Many Iranian missile defence systems, radars and other equipment were hit during the war. But Kanani Moghaddam said remaining and newly developed systems were becoming more accurate, pointing to the targeting of a US-built F-35<\/a> and other warplanes and drones as successes that can be replicated and expanded upon.<\/p>\n \u201cAt sea, we have shown that we can easily target supertankers,\u201d he said regarding transit through the Strait of Hormuz that is deemed \u201cunauthorised\u201d by Iranian authorities. He said Iranian attacks on US Navy vessels<\/a> in September prompted them to stop venturing into the critical waterway since. But the US has continued its naval blockade on southern Iranian ports, while Iran\u2019s civilian population and infrastructure remain largely exposed if the war resumes.<\/p>\n Tehran and other cities across the country lack shelters or early warning systems to protect civilians. Authorities have not reported any progress regarding the promised shelters and gaps in public warning arrangements.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s electricity grid, as well as oil and gas facilities, petrochemical and steel manufacturers and roads and railways could also be attacked again, making life even more difficult amid the economic crisis.<\/p>\n \u2018Intelligence weakness\u2019<\/p>\n During both wars, many senior political and military figures of the Islamic Republic were killed by US and Israeli strikes.<\/p>\n The new supreme leader has not been seen or heard from since replacing his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in early March, ostensibly for security reasons.<\/p>\n This has led to tighter domestic security controls, and prompted some voices from within the establishment to raise concerns and demand accountability for intelligence failures and protection of leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been hit and hit hard,\u201d state-linked analyst Hamzeh Rahim Safavi said during a televised debate on Saturday. \u201cThe main cause is intelligence weakness, but no one talks about it or is held accountable\u201d.<\/p>\n