‘At least six months’: Iran says it can sustain intense war, rejects Trump’s collapse claims

Iran has the capacity to sustain a high-intensity conflict for at least six more months, according to a senior official from the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), offering a sharply different assessment from recent claims by Donald Trump that Tehran’s military capabilities have been severely weakened.  

In comments carried by the semi-official Fars News Agency, which is closely linked to the IRGC, Guards spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini said Iran’s armed forces are prepared to maintain the current level of military operations for an extended period.  

“The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are capable of continuing at least a six-month intense war at the current pace of operations,” Naini said, according to AFP.  

The Guards, Iran’s elite force, also says it targeted “more than 200” locations related to American and Israeli bases and facilities across the region.

Tehran signals long-haul readiness  

The statement suggests Iran believes it has the military capacity and resources to sustain prolonged hostilities despite mounting pressure from the United States and Israel. The comments come amid escalating regional tensions and ongoing exchanges involving Iranian forces and their adversaries.  

Iranian officials have sought to project resilience and readiness for a prolonged confrontation, even as the scale and impact of recent strikes have drawn conflicting narratives from both sides.  

Trump claims US-Israel campaign is succeeding  

The IRGC’s assessment contrasts sharply with comments made by Trump, who has repeatedly argued that the US-Israel military campaign against Iran has dealt a decisive blow to Tehran’s power.  

“We’re winning the war by a lot,” Trump said over the weekend. “We decimated their whole evil empire.”  

The role of the IRGC in Iran  

The IRGC is one of the most powerful institutions in Iran, with influence extending well beyond the military sphere. Alongside its defence and intelligence functions, the organisation has a major presence in Iran’s political system, education sector and economy.  

Formed after the Iranian Revolution, the force has grown into a central pillar of the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus and plays a key role in Iran’s regional military strategy.