What would Tehran’s reaction be if the United States and Israel bombed Iran again? | US-Israeli war against Iran

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s military warns that if all-out war breaks out again with the United States and Israel, it will be longer and more costly than their rivals expect.

Iran’s armed forces could deploy new weapons and tactics against the United States, Israel and other countries, marking the third major conflict between the two countries since June last year.

There are growing signs that the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on February 28, could resume after the US midterm elections. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the war with Iran would end “very soon one way or another” and that Tehran would have to make a deal or “the hammer” would fall.

Hossein Kanani Moghaddam, a former senior commander of the IRGC, told Al Jazeera that despite the numerous blows dealt to the Iranian armed forces during US and Israeli strikes earlier this year, they are now in better operational shape compared to previous conflicts.

“In offensive terms, our target database has expanded significantly, the range, accuracy and warheads of our missiles have improved, and the capabilities of our drones have increased,” he said.

New enemy assets have been identified and operations in additional geographic areas have been planned, he added. Arkaminia said previously undisclosed capabilities and targets would be revealed – and used – if Iran was attacked again.

Commanders from the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran reportedly met recently with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to discuss measures to take in the event of another attack. The response will be immediate and could extend beyond the West Asian region, they said.

The IRGC was “100% prepared” to face another attack, spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Sunday evening, describing “maximum deterrence” as a goal Iran would achieve in the near future.

Army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said commanders would rely on “asymmetric warfare” tactics that would offset the superiority of U.S. military equipment.

He added that “some weapons were renovated and new equipment was added as well as new tactics” during the brief ceasefire period that followed the June memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.

Last month, state television showed an underground drone production line. Authorities also presented an improved version of the Arash attack drone and claimed that its warhead had doubled to 100 kg thanks to improved guidance.

Many military agencies linked to Iran’s defense establishment have evaded sanctions and pumped billions of dollars into military imports to replenish the IRGC, according to a Reuters investigation published last week. Imports between January 2025 and June this year from China, Russia and Germany to fuel missile and drone production included rocket boosters, explosives, detonators, titanium and heavy trucks that can be used as launchers.

Many Iranian missile defense systems, radars and other equipment were hit during the war. But Kanani Moghaddam said existing and newly developed systems were becoming more precise, pointing to the targeting of a U.S.-built F-35 and other warplanes and drones as successes that can be replicated and expanded.

“At sea, we have shown that we can easily target supertankers,” he said of transit through the Strait of Hormuz, deemed “unauthorized” by Iranian authorities. He said Iranian attacks on U.S. Navy ships in September prompted them to stop venturing into the critical waterway. But the United States has maintained its naval blockade on southern Iranian ports, while Iran’s civilian population and infrastructure remain largely exposed if war resumes.

Tehran and other cities across the country lack shelters or early warning systems to protect civilians. Authorities reported no progress on promised shelters and gaps in public warning systems.

Iran’s power grid, as well as oil and gas facilities, petrochemical and steel manufacturers, and roads and railways, could also come under attack again, making life even more difficult amid an economic crisis.

“Weak intelligence”

During the two wars, many political and military figures of the Islamic Republic were killed by American and Israeli strikes.

The new supreme leader has not been seen or heard from since he replaced his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in early March, apparently for security reasons.

This has led to increased domestic security controls and prompted some voices within the establishment to express concerns and demand accountability for the failures of intelligence services and the protection of leaders.

“We have been hit and hit hard,” official analyst Hamzeh Rahim Safavi said in a televised debate on Saturday. “The main cause is weak intelligence, but no one talks about it or is held accountable.”

The analyst is the son of Yahya Rahim Safavi, a former IRGC commander-in-chief who currently serves as senior military advisor to the Supreme Leader. The analyst said hardliners’ calls for a nuclear bomb would not address intelligence and security weaknesses.

But Esmaeil Kowsari, a former IRGC division commander and now a member of the parliamentary national security committee, told local media last week that although the supreme leader and others were assassinated, “the enemies have not achieved their main objectives.” He said the goals were to overthrow the Islamic Republic and fragment Iran.

“On the eve of their elections, Americans are trying to pretend they won by causing a ruckus and launching psychological operations, but that is not the truth,” Kowsari said.