Newsletters
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi warned that Iran will use "entirely different" and "more destructive" weapons than in past conflicts if a new war breaks out, as Iranian officials continue to reject U.S. economic and military pressure.
Speaking to Iranian state television, Mohebbi addressed the country's missile capabilities, saying the destructive power of the warheads used in IRGC missiles far exceeds that of examples used in previous wars.
"If a new war breaks out, our weapons will be entirely different from the past. This difference can be seen in the generation of the warheads, the precision of impact, the range of the missiles, or in other areas," Mohebbi said.
Mohebbi said Iran has never paused its weapons production and development, arguing that the country's military weapons are being made more precise, more destructive and more technologically advanced with each passing day.
"We are progressing every day in this field, and every possibility in this regard is conceivable," he said.
Separately, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi mocked the U.S. approach toward Iran in a post on X.
"They claim Iran is on the verge of collapse and hanging by a thread, yet they beg all their allies to help them! The problem is a miscalculation that forces them to create an even bigger failure for themselves each time they try to cover it up. Military war produced no result, so now they've named the next failure 'economic war,'" Gharibabadi wrote.
The number of U.S. service members wounded since the start of the Iran war has passed 750, according to the Defense Department's war casualty database, cited by CNN.
The Pentagon updated the database Wednesday, recording more than 50 additional wounded service members, as talks between Tehran and Washington to end the conflict remain at an impasse.
When combined with Operation Epic Fury totals, the Defense Casualty Analysis System shows 18 service members have died and 757 have been wounded since the U.S. launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28.
The Defense Department created the "Overseas Operations" category last month for service members killed and wounded "starting July 7," a date that aligns with when the Trump administration told Congress a new conflict with Iran had begun, under a War Powers Act notification. The Pentagon has not specified which conflict the casualties in that category stem from.
These updated figures come after the Pentagon faced heavy scrutiny from lawmakers and media outlets for a drop in database totals despite ongoing Iranian attacks. Last month, four deaths and dozens of injuries disappeared from the system before being restored.
The Defense Department said at the time the decreases were due to "temporary data disruptions."
CNN has previously reported that the Pentagon has been slow to disclose wounded troops throughout the conflict, with officials citing security needs.
Iran and the U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June aimed at ending the war and paving the way for a broader agreement, but the arrangement later broke down amid mutual accusations of violations and renewed hostilities.
Diplomatic efforts have since failed to produce a breakthrough on reopening the Strait of Hormuz or resuming negotiations toward a broader agreement.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
