Iranian military officials acknowledged tactical failures during the recent war with Israel while insisting the country's missile capabilities remain largely intact, with a senior Western diplomat stated missile sites may now be relocated deeper into eastern Iran for protection. "If we keep. "We did not think that they would target our commanders and scientists in their own homes along with their families. We miscalculated and admit that we were wrong," Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a Revolutionary Guards deputy commander said. Despite strikes that killed dozens of senior commanders, Naghdi claimed "Israel has not destroyed even 3% of our missile launchers," the Financial Times reported.
The Revolutionary Guards recently staged a public weapons exhibition at Tehran's National Aerospace Park, displaying ballistic missiles, hypersonic systems, and attack drones. The display sought to project military strength and reassure citizens following the 12-day war with Israel and the US that exposed significant vulnerabilities. Israeli strikes killed dozens of senior commanders and nuclear scientists, while over 1,000 people died in Iran, according to the Financial Times. Tehran argues its massive missile response forced the conflict to halt.
A 35-year-old accountant named Nasrin stopped before a Sejjil ballistic missile, remembering social media images of the weapon soaring through skies during fighting, the Financial Times reported. "Thanks to these missiles, the US and Israel knelt down before us," she remarked. "Without them, Iran would have become like Gaza."
Last month's presentation formed part of a campaign to convey strength following a war inflicting severe damage on the Islamic republic – and to assure citizens the nation remains combat-ready should necessity arise, according to the Financial Times.
Brigadier General Ali Balali of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, serving as exhibition director, told attendees: "People are seeing these missiles and drones up close, and realise they're locally made weapons to defend the homeland," the Financial Times reported. "Our capabilities place us within the club of nations known for significant missile development."
During months following the 12-day conflict, wherein the US briefly participated before negotiating a ceasefire, numerous Iranians describe existing in a state of "no war, no peace," according to the Financial Times. Iran has prohibited UN inspectors from accessing its most sensitive nuclear installations, which sustained US bombing, and has reached deadlock with Washington over resuming atomic energy program talks, the Financial Times reported. European powers have additionally reimposed sanctions.
These developments have produced mounting anxiety within Iran that renewed combat may prove inevitable rather than hypothetical, according to the Financial Times. "Our missile capability must continue to grow," stated Sara, a 19-year-old psychology student at the aerospace park. "The war could resume at any moment."
Officials insist Iran's military preparedness undergoes swift restoration, the Financial Times reported. Yet the exhibition also represented an attempt to shift public narrative away from vulnerabilities exposed during combat, when Israeli forces eliminated dozens of senior commanders and nuclear scientists in a devastating opening assault. Iranian authorities reported casualties exceeding 1,000.
By launching what it describes as more than 600 missiles in retaliation – the most extensive bombardment Israel has confronted in its history – Tehran argues it compelled the war to cease, the Financial Times reported.
Iranian officials contend the war should be assessed not solely by deaths but by financial costs Israel and the US incurred intercepting relatively inexpensive Iranian munitions and executing long-range aerial operations, including with expensive precision guided missiles, the Financial Times reported.
Shahed drones, utilized by Russia in its Ukraine war, received prominent display, alongside multiple other drones reverse engineered from US and Israeli models Iran captured, the Financial Times reported. Still, the Islamic republic has also sought to address its shortcomings. Domestically-manufactured radar systems failed to prevent Israeli jets and drones from striking Tehran. In recent YouTube interviews with hardline director Javad Mogouei, ministers and military commanders admitted Israeli tactics caught them unprepared.
"We were taken by surprise by the way the enemy operated," stated Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a Revolutionary Guards deputy commander during the war, according to the Financial Times. "We did not think that they would target our commanders and scientists in their own homes along with their families. We miscalculated and admit that we were wrong."
The most embarrassing moment occurred with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran in July 2024, when Iran declined to retaliate against Israel, the Financial Times reported. Officials now acknowledge this reflected not strategic restraint but an uncomfortable reality: Tehran recognized it lacked sufficient capabilities to respond effectively and required time for rebuilding.
Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, informed Mogouei that Iran had worked to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of its missiles during subsequent months, according to the Financial Times.
"We are working around the clock to reach a new level of readiness," Naeini declared. "Without long-range ballistic missiles, this war would have lasted eight years [like the war with Iraq], not 12 days. It would have taken us a year, not hours, to go on the offensive."
A senior Western diplomat in Tehran stated missile sites may now relocate deeper into eastern Iran – farther from Israeli and American aircraft – for enhanced protection, the Financial Times reported. "If we keep the enemy's targets beyond its access, there won't be another war," Naghdi stated. "Their costs must exceed their achievements."
Western diplomats are also monitoring for indications whether the republic seeks foreign assistance to rebuild its military strength, the Financial Times reported. The critical question, as one expressed it, involves whether nations like Russia, China and Pakistan are offering support to Iran.
For many aerospace park visitors, the conclusion proved evident: Iran's future depended not merely on protecting but strengthening its weapons program, according to the Financial Times. "If we put aside our missile programme, we will be attacked more severely next time," stated Keyvan, a 27-year-old computer engineer. "After the war, we realise more than ever how invaluable these missiles are."
