Iran Says Strikes on US Targets Represent Only ‘Fraction’ of Its Military Capabilities

Iranian Parliament Deputy Speaker Ali Nikzad says the targeting of US warships and destruction of facilities used by American military commanders represent only a fraction of Iran’s military capabilities. Addressing parliament on Tuesday, Nikzad urged Washington to withdraw its forces from West Asia and the Persian Gulf, warning that continued military involvement would further damage the United States’ already diminished credibility. He criticized Washington’s network of regional bases, saying they had been established to project American power while offering neighboring states what he described as a “dream of security.”

Nikzad claimed that Iranian attacks had demonstrated the vulnerability of US military infrastructure in the region. He said American forces that once relied on bases and warships to project power were now being forced to seek alternative locations, while criticizing Washington over the reported consequences faced by its troops. He also accused the United States of interfering with Iranian vessels and warned that American warships subsequently came under ballistic-missile attacks. “Leaving a war that is no place for flies is the best choice for you,” he said.

The remarks came after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on Saturday that it had struck three US-linked vessels and three oil tankers it described as trespassing, portraying the actions as retaliation for earlier American attacks on Iranian tankers. Separately, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Sunday that Tehran had successfully tested a new anti-ship missile above a US warship in regional waters. He claimed the weapon caused significant alarm among American forces and forced them to retreat.