Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the country’s missile program has advanced significantly since the 12-day war with Israel, describing the gains as a major leap in capability while declining to disclose new details about its weapons development.
“We do not intend to publicize new details about our missiles for now,” said Ali Naderi, deputy head of public relations for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force, adding that Iran’s missile program had advanced “by several years” after the recent 12-day war with Israel.
Naderi said the conflict had strengthened Iran’s capabilities rather than set them back, as claimed by Israel. “They thought they could push our missile power two years behind, but by God’s grace we moved several years ahead,” he told reporters in Tehran.
He said the Aerospace Force now has “more than 30 types of missile and defense systems” and described the country’s arsenal as “full.”
Naderi praised the leadership of the late commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, saying “his presence is still felt” and that assassinations of commanders had only “accelerated Iran’s progress.”
He added that while the Guards’ new systems remain classified, “what we can show is displayed at the National Aerospace Park,” adding that the program’s expansion has drawn “rage from enemies hit hardest by Iran’s missile command.”
John Hurley, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Iran has managed to channel about $1 billion to Hezbollah this year despite Western sanctions that have crippled its economy.
“There’s a moment in Lebanon now. If we could get Hezbollah to disarm, the Lebanese people could get their country back,” he told Reuters in an interview published on Sunday.
Hurley said the key to curbing Hezbollah’s power was to “drive out the Iranian influence and control that starts with all the money they are pumping into Hezbollah.”
He spoke in Istanbul as part of a regional tour to Turkey, Lebanon, the UAE and Israel aimed at tightening financial and diplomatic pressure on Tehran.
Pressure campaign on Iran
The remarks come as the US intensifies its so-called maximum pressure campaign on Iran, whose economy is reeling under renewed UN snapback sanctions imposed after talks to limit its nuclear and missile activities collapsed in September.
Western governments accuse Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability, a charge Iran denies, insisting its program is for civilian energy.
Washington last week sanctioned two individuals accused of funneling Iranian funds to Hezbollah through money exchanges, in a bid to sever the group’s financial channels. The Treasury said the network had helped move tens of millions of dollars to rebuild Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in Lebanon.
Founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, Hezbollah has grown into Lebanon’s most powerful military and political force. It has fought multiple wars with Israel and is a key member of Tehran’s “Axis of Resistance” alliance.
The group remains designated as a terrorist organization by the US and several Western states.
An investigation by Le Figaro in October found that Iran’s Quds Force had helped Hezbollah reorganize after the 2024 war with Israel and the assassinations of its longtime leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine.
Lebanon’s fragile government has pledged to disarm all non-state groups, including Hezbollah, under a US-backed truce with Israel. But the group continues to wield significant political influence and has resisted full demobilization, arguing that its weapons are essential to defend the country.
US officials say Iran’s financial and military backing remains central to Hezbollah’s survival. “Even with everything Iran has been through, even with the economy not in great shape, they’re still pumping a lot of money to their terrorist proxies,” Hurley said.