IRGC says US suffered "historic" defeat in war with Iran

The United States suffered a historic and humiliating defeat in its war with Iran but lacks the courage to acknowledge it, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said in an interview with Al-Alam television.

Mohebbi said military and political analysts, including some in the United States, recognised what he described as an American defeat. He distinguished between two levels of failure: the failure to achieve predetermined objectives, many of which he said had been set by Israel, and what he characterised as a deeper strategic defeat affecting the foundations of American power.

He cited the Strait of Hormuz as one example, saying that the United States had failed to reopen the strategic waterway during the war despite possessing the world’s largest navy and citing the protection of energy flows and freedom of navigation as a justification for its regional presence.

According to Mohebbi, the strait had been open before the war and was closed following the US attack on Iran. He said its continued closure was linked to repeated US violations of agreements.

Asked whether the current situation represented a new phase of the conflict, Mohebbi said the war had not ended and was continuing in different stages. He said the IRGC had prepared for a prolonged war and would defend Iran against any renewed escalation.

Mohebbi also rejected the possibility of contact between the IRGC and the United States. He said the IRGC’s role under Iran’s constitution was strictly military and did not extend to diplomacy, which he said was the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry.

He added that the IRGC had never maintained official or unofficial relations with Washington and did not intend to become involved in diplomatic matters.

Mohebbi warned that any renewed confrontation would involve a different “geography of the war,” as well as new weapons and capabilities that would "surprise the world." He said Iran’s targets would also differ from those struck previously.

He said Iran had developed weapons both before and during the war that had not yet been deployed, describing them as strategic assets that would be used when necessary.

By Tamilla Hasanova