Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is prepared for a prolonged war and will launch a "counteroffensive" utilizing new weapons and tactics if the United States initiates further attacks, according to IRGC spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi.
In an interview published Monday, Mohebbi told the semi-official Tasnim News Agency that "significant changes in our defense and our counteroffensive" would occur in the event of renewed U.S. aggression. He added, "We will definitely change the geography of the war." Iran also intends to deploy "new weapons with new capabilities into the battlefield, and the world will be surprised," Mohebbi stated.
He asserted that the U.S. has already suffered a "historic and disgraceful defeat."
Strait of Hormuz Remains Flashpoint
The Strait of Hormuz continues to be a focal point of tension. On Monday morning, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported that a tanker was "struck by an unknown projectile" in the strait, resulting in injuries to at least two crew members. The vessel was able to continue to its destination under its own power, and no environmental impact was reported.
Peace Talks Stalled
Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June, aiming for a deal to end hostilities based on a previously signed memorandum of understanding. However, these talks faltered amidst ongoing exchanges of strikes between the two nations.
In August, President Donald Trump announced a "crushing economic operation" intended to force Tehran's submission. Earlier, on February 28, Trump had declared "major combat operations" against Iran, involving significant joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government, and infrastructure sites.
Tehran's Conditions for Negotiation
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Sunday that Tehran would not permit the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz until all of its conditions are met. "We have shown that we are not helpless in the face of aggression," Ghalibaf said, emphasizing the need to both "fight and negotiate."
He indicated that Iran's conditions have been communicated to the opposing side through mediators, and that "the path of deception and one-sided imposition is closed." Ghalibaf further asserted that without the fulfillment of these conditions and the recognition of the Iranian people's rights, there would be no return to previous negotiation parameters or the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He also commented that the "old American order in West Asia has collapsed" and that a new order should be implemented by Islamic countries in the region.