Qalibaf Says Iran’s Military Capabilities Have Advanced During Two Wars

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf says the country’s armed forces have made significant advances during the two wars of aggression Iran has faced over the past 15 months involving the United States and Israel. In video-recorded remarks published Tuesday, Qalibaf said Iran had achieved military progress equivalent to roughly a decade during the period, describing the development as a result of battlefield experience and operational requirements.

Qalibaf said Iranian military forces had made substantial progress in rebuilding and replacing equipment damaged or lost during the conflicts, while simultaneously improving their ability to plan and conduct both offensive and defensive operations. He said the armed forces had experienced a major improvement in the quality of their performance and were now carrying out their missions more effectively.

Responding to claims by US officials, including President Donald Trump, that the conflicts had severely weakened Iran’s military capabilities, Qalibaf rejected the assessment and maintained that Tehran retained the upper hand in the confrontation with Washington. He said US officials had repeatedly claimed that large percentages of Iranian missiles had been destroyed, but argued that Iran’s subsequent responses had demonstrated otherwise, with what he described as increasingly stronger reactions to US actions.