Iran‘s reserves of bombs, drones and missiles ‘are fully ready and intact’ and will ‘confront any threat’ over the long term, its Deputy Defence Minister said today.
Iran has continued to launch attacks across the Gulf region against Israel, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar a week after hostilities began.
But some experts have suggested that Iran could run out of ballistic missiles shortly, while Donald Trump wrote on social media yesterday that ‘there will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender’.
Iran’s Deputy Defence Minister, Reza Talaei-Nik, said on state-controlled media channel Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) that Iran stood ready to fight the US for a prolonged period.
He said that Iran’s weapons stockpile could be maintained in the ‘long term’ and its reserves of bombs, drones and missiles were ready to fire and remained intact.
The politician said that the Iranian military could confront any threat posed by the US or Israel.
He claimed that Iranian losses had been exaggerated by the US and that far more casualties had been inflicted on ‘the enemy’ than reported – in the region of 220.
There is no evidence to suggest that 220 US or Israeli military personnel have been killed by Iran.
Iran’s Deputy Defence Minister, Reza Talaei-Nik, said on state-controlled media channel Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) that Iran stood ready to fight the US for a prolonged period
The US have confirmed six service members have been killed by Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
Donald Trump today said that Iran would be ‘hit very hard’ by US-Israeli attacks as he claimed the country is being ‘beat to hell’.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said Iran’s ‘openness to de-escalation’ was ‘almost immediately killed’ by Donald Trump.
In a statement following Trump’s comments earlier today, Aragchi said Trump has misinterpreted Iran’s ‘capabilities, determination and intent’.
But the US President dubbed the country the ‘loser of the Middle East’.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump hit out at Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshki, who earlier claimed that attacks against its Gulf neighbours would stop – only to be contradicted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards hours later.
Pezeshkian today described the US demand for an ‘unconditional surrender’ as a ‘dream’ in a statement on Saturday in which he also apologised for striking neighbouring countries.
But today Dubai Airport was evacuated following an Iranian drone attack and countries across the Gulf have reported drone and missile attacks.
Iran’s hardline judiciary chief said the Islamic Republic would continue targeting regional neighbours offering its enemies “points… used in agression against our country”.
Reza Talaei-Nik said that Iran’s weapons stockpile could be maintained in the ‘long term’ and its reserves of bombs, drones and missiles were ready to fire and intact
Smoke and fire rise from the site of airstrikes at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran today
An Iranian missile with cluster munitions flies towards Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran
‘Evidence from Iran’s armed forces shows that the geography of some countries in the region is openly and covertly at the disposal of the enemy,’ said Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, who is also a member of the interim leadership council.
‘The heavy attacks on these targets will continue,’ he added.
Explosions were seen across Iran’s capital Tehran as the US President aims to force Iran to ‘unconditionally surrender’.
In a post on Truth Social President Trump said: ‘Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore.
‘This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack. They were looking to take over and rule the Middle East. It is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern Countries.’
Elsewhere, it was reported today that the UK has halved the readiness time for aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales ahead of a possible deployment to the region.
Crews are said to have been alerted about a potential deployment to the region.
The move does not guarantee that the ship will be deployed.
HMS Prince of Wales, which carries F-35 warplanes and helicopters, as well as anti-submarine warfare, is currently based in Portsmouth.
