Iran’s acting defense minister has issued a stark warning to Washington, asserting that the Islamic Republic possesses both the technological capability and military readiness to target and destroy American warships involved in what Tehran decries as an illegal economic blockade of Iranian ports.
In an exclusive interview with IRIB on Monday, Brigadier General Majid Ibn Reza pushed back forcefully against recent U.S. assessments that downplay Iran’s naval strike capabilities. When asked about American skepticism regarding Tehran’s ability to threaten vessels enforcing the maritime siege, the general responded with measured defiance.
“The Americans believe that we do not have the capability and technology to target the warships participating in the economic blockade against our people,” the reporter observed.
Brigadier General Ibn Reza replied curtly: “God willing, you will see, you will see the results.”
Pressed further on whether U.S. commanders should treat Iran’s claims with absolute certainty, he reiterated: “You will definitely see the results, God willing.”
The exchange underscores rapidly escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, where U.S. naval assets have maintained a persistent presence as part of what Iranian officials characterize as an act of economic warfare. Tehran has repeatedly condemned the blockade as a violation of both its sovereignty and international maritime law, framing it as a direct continuation of the broader aggression launched against the Islamic Republic earlier this year.
Iran’s defense establishment, however, has long signaled that it does not view such pressure lightly. Brigadier General Ibn Reza, who previously held senior posts across the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff, and domestic defense industries before assuming the acting portfolio, has in recent months emphasized the steady advancement of Iran’s deterrent capabilities. He credited the nation’s scientists and youth with translating indigenous knowledge into operational battlefield strength—a development achieved despite decades of crippling sanctions.
That self-reliance was on full display during the 39-day U.S.-Israeli aggression that ended with a ceasefire in mid-April, according to military analysts. Iranian-made missiles, drones, and interception systems are widely believed to have formed the backbone of the country’s defensive strategy, enabling it to withstand sustained pressure from technologically superior adversaries.
Reinforcing that narrative, Brigadier General Alireza Elhami, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Air Defense Headquarters, announced on Monday that domestically produced air defense systems combat-tested during the spring conflict are now entering rapid mass production.
“The equipment produced [inside Iran] passed a successful test during that conflict, and now they are being rapidly mass-produced to be deployed across the entire expanse of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Elhami told Tasnim news agency.
Experts note that Iran’s indigenous defense industry has matured significantly over the past decade, producing advanced anti-ship missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and radar-evading systems capable of holding hostile naval forces at risk not only in the Gulf but well beyond its coastal waters. While U.S. naval commanders have dismissed such claims in the past, Iranian officials insist that every threat is treated as real and that the armed forces maintain a state of high readiness to defend the nation’s interests and the livelihoods of its people.
With the blockade showing no signs of abating, and with both sides trading increasingly assertive rhetoric, the waters of the Gulf are becoming a flashpoint where miscalculation could carry catastrophic consequences. For now, Tehran’s message to Washington is unambiguous: the capability exists, the will is present, and the results, as the acting defense minister put it, will speak for themselves.
Source: Agencies (translated and edited by Al-Manar)