TEHRAN – The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared that Iran’s military preparedness is now significantly higher than it was two months ago, when the war with Israel began.

Brigadier General Ali Fadavi said on Monday that enhancing Iran’s defense capability has been a constant mission for the IRGC since its establishment, never subject to interruption. He noted that this ongoing effort becomes most visible in times of conflict, citing the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, the Syrian conflict, and most recently the 12-day confrontation with Israel.

“We have been blessed with the opportunity to strengthen our power and capabilities continuously, and the people see the results of this in practice,” Fadavi said. “In the 12-day war, when the entire world joined forces to confront Iran and even expected to defeat us, God decreed otherwise—and they were the ones who suffered defeat.”

He went on to stress that Iran’s readiness has grown considerably in the weeks since hostilities began.

“We are proud to say that, with God’s will, our preparedness today is far greater than it was two months ago when the war started,” Fadavi declared.

On June 13, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against Iran’s military, nuclear, and security infrastructure. The war lasted 12 days and left at least 1,065 Iranians dead—mostly civilians, along with senior commanders and nuclear scientists. The United States openly backed the Zionist regime from the outset and directly entered the war on June 22 by striking three nuclear sites that Israel had already targeted.

Iran responded with Operation True Promise III, launching 22 waves of coordinated missile and drone attacks that devastated Israeli military, intelligence, security, and economic sites across the occupied territories. Analysts point out that while Iran inflicted serious damage, it deliberately refrained from deploying its most advanced and destructive weaponry.

The June 24 ceasefire, which Iran says was initiated at the request of both Washington and Tel Aviv, is described by Iranian officials as only a “temporary pause.” 

The war exposed the unsustainable economics of the U.S.-Israeli defense strategy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. military fired over 150 THAAD interceptors during the conflict—each costing $12.7 million—consuming almost 25% of its global stockpile. Navy destroyers launched 80 SM-3 missiles at up to $25 million apiece, while Israel expended hundreds of Arrow-3, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome interceptors.

A report by the Washington-based Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) highlighted the disparity: U.S. forces launched 30 Patriot missiles—worth $111 million in total—to intercept just 14 Iranian missiles aimed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Replenishing these stockpiles will be a major challenge. Lockheed Martin produces only about 100 THAAD interceptors annually, meaning that restoring depleted reserves could take between three and eight years. 

While Israeli officials initially boasted of a 90–95% interception rate, post-war assessments suggest the actual success rate was considerably lower. Satellite radar imagery released weeks after the ceasefire confirmed that Iranian missiles hit at least five military sites in Israel.

According to JINSA, of the 574 Iranian projectiles launched, 57 struck populated areas while 316 landed in uninhabited zones. Among the most significant penetrations was a missile strike near the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, which caused widespread damage and panic.

Even more consequential was Iran’s precision strike on the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot on June 15. Although widely portrayed as a civilian research center, the Institute plays a central role in Israel’s military-industrial complex and covert nuclear program. The attack inflicted extensive destruction and wiped out vital research, revealing a deep vulnerability at the heart of Israel’s strategic infrastructure.