IRGC declares end of defensive phase, says ready for rapid offensive operations

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Greater Tehran has announced the end of an exclusively defensive phase, saying the force’s special operations units are fully prepared to rapidly deploy anywhere in the country.  

Speaking during a military exercise involving special operations teams of the IRGC’s Hazrat Mohammad Rasoulollah (PBUH) Corps, Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh stressed that decisive and conclusive operations would further accelerate the decline of the United States and the Zionist regime. 

“We have moved beyond the stage of defensive and deterrent confrontation, and today we are on the threshold of offensive operations. This is a turning point whose effects the enemies will soon understand,” he said. 

Referring to the enemies’ claims during the early days of the 12-day war that the Islamic Republic would collapse within days, Hassanzadeh said those same enemies are now facing the capabilities of Iran’s Armed Forces in a limited geographical area such as the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

“Today, before the eyes of the world, those same enemies have been caught in the powerful grip of the naval and aerospace forces of the IRGC and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army, and they spend their nights in stress and anxiety,” he added.

Hassanzadeh stressed that victory is not achieved through equipment and technology alone, saying firm faith, belief in divine assistance and adherence to the path of martyrs are decisive factors in determining the outcome of wars.

He added that Iran has also reached a point of significant advancement in missile, drone and naval technologies, enabling it to thwart the enemy’s objectives.

The commander announced the organization of offensive teams, units and divisions for rapid special operations, saying the IRGC is now capable of deploying forces swiftly to any part of the country.

“We are prepared to be present at any point in the country at high speed and destroy the enemy under any circumstances. Our capacity for rapid transportation and specialized and special operations has been developed through repeated exercises in recent years,” he said.

Hassanzadeh further said that the United States, US President Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu are now unable to answer to their own public and elites.

“They claimed they would destroy our Armed Forces, but today the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic are standing before them more powerful than ever. They wanted to seize the Strait of Hormuz, but today it is the will of the Iranian nation that manages this vital energy artery,” he noted.

He added that the repeated defeats suffered by the United States and the Zionist regime had pushed them toward spreading falsehoods, while the situation on the ground was different.

“Today, the world recognizes the Islamic Republic of Iran as the axis of resistance and one of the four powers determining global equations,” he said, adding that the Strait of Hormuz, popular forces and the full readiness of Iranian fighters were among the country’s sources of power.

IRGC warns of more ‘unique’ surprises if enemy continues aggression

General Sharif hailed the recent capture of an unmanned US underwater intruder as a tangible example of Iran’s technological innovation and active deterrent power.

Meanwhile, the commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi said the force is fully prepared to counter all threats posed by the country’s adversaries.

He added that the Army Ground Forces maintain an active presence along Iran’s borders and are fully prepared to safeguard the country’s territorial integrity.

He also described the performance of Army Ground Forces units during recent wars, saying they traveled long distances under enemy fire and deployed themselves and their equipment at designated positions.

“Despite difficult and exhausting conditions, the Army Ground Forces’ personnel maintained high morale, carried out their missions and safeguarded Iran’s borders,” Jahanshahi said.

He described the presence of ground forces at defensive positions as a source of reassurance for the Iranian people and a cause of discouragement for the country’s enemies.

“This powerful presence shows that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will always stand ready, with strength and a spirit of sacrifice, to defend the country’s territory and independence,” he said.

Jahanshahi also stressed the need to maintain readiness against future threats, saying that, as martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei had stated, even a one-percent threat should be treated by the Armed Forces as a full and 100-percent threat.

“Therefore, under all circumstances, we are fully prepared to confront all threats,” he said.

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