The spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, said in an interview with Al-Alam television that the United States suffered a historic and humiliating defeat in its war with Iran, but lacks the courage to admit it.
Mohebbi said military and political analysts, including some in the United States, recognize the American defeat, though he distinguished between two levels of failure: not achieving predetermined objectives, largely those set by the Israeli regime, and a deeper strategic defeat affecting the foundations of American power.
As one example, Mohebbi pointed to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, saying that despite possessing the world's largest navy and citing the protection of energy flows and freedom of navigation as a pretext for its regional presence, the United States failed to reopen the strait during the war. He said the strait had been open before the war and was closed as a result of the American attack on Iran, adding that its continued closure remains linked to recurring American violations of agreements.
Asked whether the current situation represents a new phase of the conflict, Mohebbi said the war has not ended and is continuing in different stages. He said the IRGC has prepared itself for a prolonged war and would defend the country against any renewed escalation.
He rejected any contact between the IRGC and the United States, saying the IRGC's role under Iran's constitution is strictly military and does not extend to diplomacy, which he said falls under the Foreign Ministry. He said the IRGC has never had official or unofficial relations with the US and does not intend to engage in diplomatic matters.
On the possibility of renewed attacks, Mohebbi said any future confrontation would involve a changed geography of war, along with new weapons and capabilities that would "surprise the world." He said Iran's targets would also differ from previous ones.
He said Iran has developed weapons during and before the war that have not yet been used, describing them as strategic assets to be deployed when necessary.
MNA