Iran’s defense minister escalated threats against Israel on Wednesday, warning that Tehran has developed a new generation of missiles with “far greater capabilities” than those deployed in last month’s 12-day conflict.
“The missiles used in the 12-day war were manufactured a few years ago,” Defense Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh told Iranian media, according to the official IRNA news agency. “Today, we have manufactured and possess missiles with far greater capabilities… and if the Zionist enemy embarks on the adventure again, we will undoubtedly use them.”
The comments came days after Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, declared that Iran remains in a “stage of war” with Israel and the United States, warning another confrontation could erupt “at any time.”
Speaking on the sidelines of a defense industry event ahead of Iran’s National Defense Industry Day, Nassirzadeh praised what he called Iran’s “success” in its counterattack after Israel’s June 13 strikes on Tehran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. He claimed that 90 percent of Iran’s ballistic missiles hit their intended targets and accused Israel of “cowardly” targeting of civilians.
Iran’s missile salvos not only struck Israeli military installations but also damaged more than 2,300 homes, two universities, and a hospital. Israeli health officials say 31 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured.
Israel, for its part, said its offensive—which targeted senior Iranian military leaders, nuclear scientists, enrichment facilities, and missile sites—was necessary to halt Tehran’s march toward nuclear weaponization.
Iran insists it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, but Western officials point to uranium enrichment at weapons-grade levels, Tehran’s obstruction of international inspectors, and its continued investment in long-range ballistic missiles as evidence to the contrary.
Nassirzadeh rejected claims that Iran was forced into a ceasefire, framing the decision instead as a deliberate move to prevent a wider regional war. But his rhetoric underscored Tehran’s distrust of U.S. and Israeli commitments. “Should the other side continue its adventurism,” he warned, “this time Iran’s response… will be deadly, surprising, painful, and beyond calculation.”
The war marked the most intense direct confrontation between Israel and Iran to date. Tehran launched over 500 ballistic missiles and 1,100 drones at Israel during the conflict, while Israel coordinated with the U.S. to inflict heavy damage on Iran’s strategic programs.
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One Response
It’s amazing what ego does. They couldn’t have been more embarrassed and defeated than that, in fact it’s proven that they actually just spared this rasha’s life, and they talk like they went through nothing. Incredible