Iran’s Naqdi: US Won’t Risk Another War if it Acts Rationally- Excl.

By Al Mayadeen English

31 Aug 2026 21:08

IRGC adviser Mohammad Reza Naqdi says Iran’s resilience, military capabilities and domestic weapons production have strengthened Tehran’s position.

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, Senior Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, said Monday that the United States would not enter another war with Tehran if Washington sought to make a “rational decision” in line with its interests.

In an interview for Al Mayadeen, Naqdi said most commanders currently in Tehran favor an offensive military doctrine, which is “very interesting, feasible, and highly effective operationally.”

Naqdi attributed the halt in the war to Washington’s inability to continue, the losses it had sustained, and the strikes it had come under.

Iran’s immediate priority

Asked about Iran’s immediate priority, Naqdi said, “Our priority is neither war nor negotiations; the issue is to reach deterrence.”

“We were certain and confident of victory, but we did not expect victory to be achieved this easily,” he said, adding, “Even if they built a concrete wall around Iran and stationed guards along it, Iran would remain steadfast and strong.”

Iran’s advantage and weapons capabilities

Elsewhere in his remarks, Naqdi said Iran’s key advantage in the war was its ability to manufacture all of its weapons domestically.

He said Iran’s facilities had been rebuilt in highly secure locations and were operating with modern and advanced technologies, while achieving higher production rates.

He also said Tehran has hundreds of cities and industrial complexes, as well as the ability to conceal and disperse its production through various methods, both underground and above ground.

Furthermore, Naqdi said the air defenses of Iran’s adversaries had collapsed under the intensity of the Islamic Republic’s drone and missile attacks, adding that even Iran’s older weapons had proven effective against them.

US military is a paper tiger: Naqdi 

The top military figure described the US military as “hollow and fragile, a paper tiger, and its actual capabilities are weaker than they appear.”

Naqdi also downplayed the significance of US aircraft carriers and fighter jets that had been publicly promoted, saying, “The whole world saw that the carriers remained 1,000 kilometers from the strait and were unable to move.”

IRGC-government ties

Addressing relations between the IRGC and the Iranian government, Naqdi said they were “at their best, excellent and extremely strong.”

“We are implementing the commitments announced by the Supreme National Security Council, but the enemy must understand that it will pay a heavy price if it attacks us,” he stressed.

“The enemy believed it would seize Iran within three days, but what happened? It has now been six months,” he added.

Naqdi on Trump and the conduct of the war

Speaking about US President Donald Trump, Naqdi said the president “makes his decisions according to his personal interests and the interests of his companies and institutions.”

He accused Trump of adjusting the pace of the war in ways that could generate profits in the stock market or allow his inner circle to benefit from the oil sector.

“Asymmetric warfare means war on Wall Street, in Manhattan, and anywhere and at any time,” Naqdi said.

US support for 'Israel'

On US support for the Israeli regime, Naqdi said cutting off that support would leave “Israel” unable to continue the war.

He pointed to the Israeli military’s reliance on bombardment, saying, “The ground forces are nothing without that bombardment.”

Naqdi also said the enemies had failed to achieve their objective of “creating a rift between us and the resistance.”

“That rift did not happen; rather, our ties have become much stronger,” he said.

The remarks come as Iran expands its retaliatory response to US aggression on its territory, targeting US military positions across the region and emphasizing Tehran’s stated resolve to impose consequences on Washington’s regional military presence.