At a ceremony honouring a former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), senior military commanders declared that Iran’s armed forces are in a “perfect state of readiness” and completely equipped to protect the nation from any threats in the future.
Speaking at a memorial service for Mohammad-Saeid Izadi, a senior officer of the IRGC’s Quds Force who was killed in an Israeli strike on Iranian territory last month, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief Commander of the Iranian Army, made the statements.
“Martyr Izadi dedicated his life to advancing jihad in God’s way.” Alongside al-Quds, Palestine, and the heroes of resistance against the Zionist dictatorship, his name would always shine, Mousavi declared.
Military and political figures attended the ceremony, which was held only days after a tenuous truce that had been in place since June 24 halted a 12-day wave of Iranian-Israeli violence that had also attracted the attention of the United States.
Mousavi, who spoke to the audience, underlined the readiness of Iran’s military, saying that “the capabilities of the armed forces are in an excellent state” and that the military was still dedicated to defending Iran’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Another senior army commander, Major General Amir Hatami, repeated his comments, reiterating Iran’s determination to protect “every inch of the country’s expanse” from foreign attack.
Israel’s coordinated strikes on military, nuclear, and residential targets throughout Iran, including strategic locations in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, had heightened tensions earlier in June. When the United States entered the war on June 22 and targeted three of Iran’s nuclear sites, the escalation reached unprecedented heights.
Iran promptly retaliated by unleashing a number of strikes. Iranian military sources claim that as part of Operation True Promise III, the IRGC’s Aerospace Force launched 22 waves of missile attacks against Israeli targets, resulting in “significant losses” in several occupied cities.
Iranian soldiers launched a barrage of missiles at Qatar’s al-Udeid air base, the biggest American military facility in the area, in retaliation for US engagement.
On June 24, a mediated truce took effect, and the fighting stopped. Analysts caution that despite the restoration of quiet, tensions are still high and the region is still on edge due to fears of a new conflict.
Neither Israel nor the United States has disclosed any official death tolls. Regarding the amount of the damage caused by the airstrikes and the ensuing missile exchanges, Iran has also kept quiet.
