‘Maximum use’: Iran boosts military strength during ceasefire with US

Washington has signalled that an agreement over the Strait of Hormuz may be imminent, and US President Donald Trump renewed his demand for a deal, or “total surrender” this week. But the Islamic Republic has said while talks are ongoing with Oman and other mediators to end the US-Israel war on Iran, work on boosting military strength has only intensified.

“We have made maximum use of the opportunity of the memorandum of understanding and every moment of the ceasefire,” army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia told state television this week, referring to a now-suspended MoU signed with the US in June. He said attempts were made to induct existing equipment into the armed forces and import new equipment, as well as repairing and recovering damaged systems or manufacturing new systems. The brigadier general also said new-generation drones have been used in combat, and their specifications would be announced later.

Last month, Iran’s acting Defence Minister Majid Ebn-e Reza said that missile and drone production had “not stopped for a single day” and that drone production had reached three times its pre-war levels. But he did not provide any figures. “Despite the martyrdom of top commanders, the armed forces not only did not lose their cohesion, but confronted the enemy with many surprises through their speed, initiative and high tactical ability,” the acting minister said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the force driving politics in Iran and also launching ballistic missile and drone attacks, has reported similar accounts. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said late last month that Iran’s missile production increased during the ceasefire, while missile accuracy had improved using the knowledge gained in battle. The IRGC has not disclosed any information about its stockpiles of weapons, or the extent of damage inflicted against the country’s domestic arms production capacities or air defences.