TEHRAN — Iran is maintaining its military readiness while keeping diplomacy available as an instrument of national policy, Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said, stressing that negotiations should not be equated with compromise and can themselves constitute “another battlefield.”

“Negotiation does not mean compromise; negotiation is another scene of war,” Mohebbi told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), explaining that while conventional warfare is fought with weapons, negotiations involve “war with words, arguments and diplomatic methods.”

He said Iran’s Armed Forces are fully prepared for military confrontation, while decisions over whether to fight or negotiate are made within the country’s political system and under the command of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

“Our approach must be determined by national interests,” Mohebbi said. “If our national interests require us to fight, we must fight. If our national interests require us to negotiate alongside the war, we must negotiate.”

The remarks add a diplomatic dimension to the IRGC’s latest assessment of the confrontation. A day earlier, Tehran Times reported on Mohebbi’s warning that any renewed US or Israeli aggression would bring changes to the geography of the conflict, the weapons deployed and the targets selected.

US regional posture has been disrupted

In his broader assessment of the recent confrontation, Mohebbi said the United States had suffered setbacks in its regional military posture, intelligence capabilities and strategic influence.

He accused Washington of becoming a source of insecurity and of contributing to disruption in the flow of energy, particularly through developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC spokesman argued that the United States had presented its regional military presence as a means of safeguarding energy flows and freedom of navigation yet had failed to reopen the strategic waterway despite possessing the world’s largest navy.

He also said the confrontation had undermined the image of overwhelming US military superiority.

According to Mohebbi, the recent war had called into question Washington’s intelligence advantage and demonstrated that facilities and capabilities once regarded as being beyond Iran’s reach could be identified and targeted.

He argued that the conflict had also rapidly eroded the perception of US military invulnerability.

The statement forms part of the IRGC’s broader assessment that the conflict has exposed limitations in Washington’s regional military posture.

 ‘No sensible person would accept US account of pilot rescue’

Mohebbi also rejected US accounts concerning the reported rescue of an American pilot, describing them as an attempt to portray the outcome of the confrontation as a success.

“No sensible person would accept the American narrative about the rescue of its pilot,” he said, according to Iranian media reports, arguing that Washington had resorted to 'a media-driven effort to manufacture achievements.'

He said the United States should instead demonstrate its military power by reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The remarks came amid continuing disputes between Iranian and US accounts of military developments during the confrontation. 

IRGC confirms new weapon test against US aircraft carriers

Mohebbi separately confirmed that Iran had successfully tested a new weapon against a US aircraft carrier during the recent confrontation.

He declined to disclose technical details but said the test had been conducted operationally against the American warship and had produced a successful result.

“Naturally, I should not give the details of the new weapon or weapons,” he said.

The IRGC spokesman said Iran was continuously developing and testing new military systems and would introduce additional capabilities if another attack were launched against the country.

“We are constantly increasing our military capabilities and producing and testing new weapons to defend ourselves and repel the malice of our enemies,” he said.

Mohebbi also said Iran possesses the technological capability to develop long-range missiles, while noting that decisions concerning the deployment of such capabilities are ultimately political.

He added that new weapons with greater range and accuracy were being tested on the battlefield.

Iran expands maritime restrictions beyond Hormuz

Another part of Mohebbi’s remarks concerned Iran’s maritime restrictions in waters extending beyond the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has previously announced that the area subject to its maritime controls extends from the vicinity of Chabahar into parts of the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, with the exact coordinates to be announced separately.

Mohebbi said the designated area had not yet been formally announced in its entirety and that its precise limits would be communicated at the appropriate time.

Under the arrangement described by the IRGC spokesman, vessels entering the designated area without coordination with Iranian authorities could face restrictions and be placed under sanctions. Such measures could include denial of maritime, insurance, and related services.

The distinction is important: in the Iranian description, the expanded area is a broader “sanctions route” or restricted zone, while the Strait of Hormuz itself remains the principal area for dealing with vessels from a military standpoint.

IRGC has no diplomatic channel with Washington

Asked whether Washington had sent a message to the IRGC concerning a possible cessation of hostilities, Mohebbi said the IRGC does not maintain diplomatic contacts.

He stressed that diplomatic affairs fall under the responsibility of Iran’s Foreign Ministry and other relevant state institutions, rather than the IRGC.

Military readiness alongside diplomacy

Mohebbi’s latest remarks therefore add an important distinction to the IRGC’s military messaging: while Iran continues to emphasize preparedness for renewed confrontation, the Guard’s spokesman says negotiations remain possible when they serve national interests.

For Tehran, military preparedness and diplomacy are presented as parallel instruments rather than mutually exclusive choices. The IRGC’s position, as expressed by Mohebbi, is that Iran must retain the ability to fight while also preserving the capacity to negotiate when circumstances and national interests require it.

The spokesman’s comments also reinforce the broader message that any renewed confrontation would not necessarily reproduce the pattern of the previous fighting. Tehran has already warned that a new attack could bring new weapons, new targets and a wider geographical scope to the conflict.