IRGC: Iran holds upper hand in determining any war’s endgame

IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Ali-Mohammad Naeini made the remarks on Wednesday, saying the experience of the 12-day war that was imposed by the Israeli regime and the United States on the Islamic Republic in June demonstrated that “the military option against Iran has failed.”

The official also said attempts to intimidate Iran through warlike signaling and deployment, including the recent deployment of an American aircraft carrier, were not new, describing them as an “old tactic used by American officials.”

He ascribed the regional military buildup to White House officials’ “confusion and desperation” over Iran’s resistance during both the war and the abortive US- and Israeli-backed armed sedition that took place in the country earlier in January.

According to the spokesman, after the “rapid and decisive defeat of the American-backed sedition in Iran,” US officials have sought to inflame tensions and spread fear within Iranian society.

Such efforts, however, have failed because anti-Iranian actions have consistently encountered “the solid barrier of the people and the national cohesion of Iranians,” he added.

‘Reality on the ground’ versus media narratives

Naeini, meanwhile, pointed to enemy media propaganda beating the drums of war simultaneously with the American military buildup, saying the situation on the field differed from the propagandist picture that was being painted by the adversarial outlets.

“We have full control over the situation,” he said, adding that the IRGC took pride in being “the shield of the great Iranian nation against any conspiracy.”

The official said the Iranian Armed Forces were fully aware of enemy movements and behavior and have “operational plans in place for all enemy scenarios.”

Referring to past confrontations, Naeini said the enemy “has not forgotten our initial strikes on al-Udeid,” the most vital American airbase in the region that is located in Qatar and was hit hard by Iranian ballistic missiles in retaliation to Washington’s involvement in the 12-day war.

Iran has experience defeating adversaries in modern warfare “on a large scale” and in “the most dangerous and complex battlefields,” he stated.

Broader warnings

The remarks echoed similar cautions sounded by various other Iranian officials.

Also on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran’s Armed Forces were prepared to respond “immediately and powerfully” to any aggression, saying the military stood “with their fingers on the trigger.”

The top diplomat said the Islamic Republic had integrated “valuable lessons” from the 12-day war, allowing for a response that would be “rapid and profound.”

Separately, Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, cautioned that any US military action would be considered the start of war and would be met with an “immediate, all-out, and unprecedented” response.

The comments followed statements by US President Donald Trump, who said on January 27 that “another beautiful armada” of warships, in addition to the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, was “floating beautifully toward Iran,” alleging that the deployment was meant to pressure Tehran into negotiations.

Trump warned that failure to reach a deal would result in a military strike “far worse” than the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

The comments avoided reference to either Tehran’s repeated insistence that it would not engage in any negotiation under threat or the widely reported aspects of the Iranian reprisal that targeted al-Udeid.