IRGC official: US buildup, psychological tactics aim to 'swallow Iran again'

Iranian military commanders have slammed the enemies for waging psychological and cognitive warfare to destabilize the country, targeting national security, public morale, and economic stability.

Speaking in Isfahan on Thursday, Yadollah Javani, deputy commander for political affairs of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), described the primary objective of the West as “swallowing Iran again” and seizing the country’s natural resources.

He said the enemy’s strategy includes “disrupting societal calm, undermining psychological security, destabilizing markets, and influencing negotiations,” which together form the pieces of a larger puzzle in the ongoing war against Iran.

Javani stressed that the younger generation must remain vigilant against an adversary that “once humiliated the nation, and today, under the guise of ‘support,’ seeks to return and loot again.”

The IRGC official emphasized that, contrary to Western narratives, the Islamic Revolution did not initiate hostility with the West but responded to centuries of humiliation, despotism, and colonial exploitation in Iran.

He traced Western antagonism back to the mid-Safavid period, continuing through the Qajar era when Iran lost over a million square kilometers of territory, and cited the Pahlavi era as “the darkest period of national humiliation,” during which the British and Americans imposed puppet regimes that threatened Iran’s religious and national identity.

Iranian commander dismisses US buildup of warships in West Asia as ‘theatrical gesture’

An Iranian commander says the US buildup of warships in the West Asia is a “theatrical gesture,” stating that the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has vigorously responded to such over-the-top maneuvers.

Echoing the concerns, Iran’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Reza Talayi-Nik said Thursday that “today, the approach of our enemies is based on cognitive warfare,” targeting the Islamic, Iranian, and revolutionary identity of the Iranian people to undermine national unity and halt the country’s progress through fear and insecurity.

He added that the large-scale participation of Iranians in national and revolutionary events demonstrates the country’s resilience and serves as a symbol of national strength.

He said whenever Iran has faced threats—such as during the Iraqi war of the 1980s on the country—the people and armed forces have historically thwarted conspiracies through sacrifice and dedication.

The remarks came amid heightened regional tensions. US President Donald Trump has ordered additional military deployments to the region, including an extra aircraft carrier, thousands of troops, warplanes, and guided-missile destroyers, according to US officials.

In late January, Trump spoke of “another beautiful armada” of warships heading towards Iran and said failure to reach a deal would bring consequences “far worse” than the illegal strikes of June 2025 on Iranian nuclear facilities.

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