Iran producing missiles faster than it uses them, IRGC General claims

Iran’s missile and drone production capacity currently exceeds the rate at which the Islamic Republic deploys the weapons, a senior adviser to the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed.

Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Naqdi, made the remarks during a televised interview, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“We produce ballistic missiles at a rate exceeding the one at which they are deployed, and deliver them to the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces. In the drone sector too, our production capacity is far greater than the rate at which the aircraft are deployed,” he said.

Naqdi said Iran would be capable of sustaining retaliatory strikes over an extended period, regardless of how long the conflict continues.

“Even if the war lasts for several years, our ballistic missiles will continue to rain down on the enemy,” he said.

The IRGC official also compared Iran’s military spending with that of the United States, arguing that Tehran’s military resilience was notable despite the disparity in resources.

“The military we are currently fighting has an annual budget one hundred times larger than the annual budget of our Armed Forces,” he said.

Naqdi further said the IRGC had been tasked with developing the capability to carry out military operations beyond Iran’s borders.

“We must be capable of taking operations into enemy territory and conducting them on the enemy's soil, far from our own territory,” he said, describing the capability as part of an “offensive doctrine” that the IRGC must develop.

His comments come amid reports that the United States has used a significant share of its air-defence interceptor stocks since the conflict with Iran began. Multiple reports have suggested that nearly 80% of the US military’s THAAD interceptors and roughly half of its Patriot interceptors have been used, raising concerns over the Pentagon’s remaining stockpiles.

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the United States had approximately 2,200 Patriot missiles and 452 THAAD interceptors before the conflict.

The reported depletion has also raised concerns among US Gulf allies that reduced interceptor stocks could limit their ability to defend against potential Iranian retaliation if President Donald Trump decides to further escalate the conflict.

By Vafa Guliyeva