Iran says it can defeat any US attack as tensions surge

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

Iran’s armed forces chief said on Monday that Tehran possesses the capability to defeat any American military action as US-Israel tensions with Iran escalate.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri made the claim during a televised briefing, days after Washington sent additional warships and fighter jets to the region.

The statement follows months of Israeli strikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria and Lebanon, plus US sanctions that have tightened restrictions on Iranian oil exports since January 2024.

Bagheri told state television that Iran’s military had developed “comprehensive defense systems” and “strategic weapons” capable of hitting regional bases hosting US troops. He cited the January 2020 ballistic missile attack on Iraq’s Ain al-Asad base that injured more than 100 US service members as evidence of Iranian precision.

The general said Iran’s rockets could reach Israel and claimed regional militias allied to Tehran had 150,000 missiles aimed at Israel, according to the broadcast. He spoke inside a military command center flanked by the Revolutionary Guards navy chief.

Israeli officials did not immediately comment on Bagheri’s remarks. The Pentagon referred questions to Central Command, which said US forces in the Middle East remained at “appropriate readiness levels.”

Tehran issued its warning hours after the US deployed additional F-16 fighters to patrol the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping channel through which 20 percent of global oil supplies pass daily. The Pentagon announced Friday that an aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, would extend its planned Gulf deployment by 30 days.

US Defense Department officials told reporters the military moves aimed to deter Iranian harassment of commercial vessels, citing Revolutionary Guards speedboat approaches to tankers in recent weeks. Iran has seized at least 5 commercial ships since 2023, according to data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

President Joe Biden’s administration expanded sanctions on Iran’s oil sector in February, targeting Chinese refineries accused of purchasing discounted Iranian crude. Treasury data shows Iranian exports fell to 1.2 million barrels per day in March from 1.5 million barrels per day late last year, costing approximately $2 billion in monthly revenue.

Iranian officials dismissed economic pressure in Monday’s broadcast. Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi said Iran had diversified trade with neighbors including Iraq and Russia, claiming monthly non-oil exports surpassed $3 billion for the first four months of 2024. These figures have not been independently verified.

Regional diplomats said the rhetoric risks accidental escalation. An Arab Gulf official who requested anonymity told reporters that minor incidents like drone overflights “can spiral quickly” given the density of armed forces in and around the strait. The official cited a 2019 attack on Saudi oil facilities that temporarily cut 5 percent of global production, which Tehran denies orchestrating.

China urged restraint. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing that “all sides should avoid provocations” and preserve the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during Raisi’s visit to Beijing in February, committing to expanded energy cooperation despite sanctions.

Background

The United States and Iran have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1980 after students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Washington lists Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, citing support for Lebanese Hezbollah, Palestinian Hamas and Yemen’s Houthi movement. Tehran calls the designation politically motivated.

Israel considers Iran its primary regional threat, citing Tehran’s nuclear program and backing of anti-Israel militias. Israel bombed an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 and a Syrian facility in 2007, while carrying out what foreign media say are hundreds of strikes on Iranian arms shipments to Syria. Iran and Israel fought a clandestine maritime war in 2021 involving alleged attacks on tankers. Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern power with nuclear weapons, though it neither confirms nor denies holding atomic bombs.

What’s Next

UN atomic agency chief Rafael Grossi briefed the Security Council on Wednesday about Iran expanding uranium enrichment to 60 percent purity, near nuclear weapons grade. The International Atomic Energy Agency has set no firm deadline, but European diplomats said they could censure Iran at a board meeting next month unless inspectors regain wider access. Israel has repeatedly said it might take unilateral action if diplomacy fails.

US officials said they expect more military-to-military communication in the coming weeks, including calls between the Pentagon and the Revolutionary Guards via intermediaries such as Oman. Analysts at the International Crisis Group warned that an Israeli or American strike risked Iranian retaliation against Gulf Arab oil infrastructure, pushing Brent crude prices above $100 a barrel and raising global inflation.

Bagheri concluded Monday’s broadcast by stating Iran would hold large-scale air defense drills later this summer, code-named Defenders of Velayat Sky. State media said Russia and China had been invited to observe parts of the exercises that will cover the Persian Gulf coastline.