TEHRAN – Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiyani has said that the Israeli regime is collapsing because it was caught off guard during the recent attack by Palestinian resistance groups. 

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Ashtiyani said, “Any country is defensively weak if it is truly surprised at one level of surprise and cannot anticipate. The Zionist regime was surprised at all three strategic, operational and tactical levels. Such a regime can be said to be collapsing with this surprise.”

He added, “This regime was surprised by a Palestinian fighting group, and this shows that all their claims and the dimensions of their defense and intelligence capabilities were nothing more than deception. They are bogged down and they do not have the possibility to repair their faces or get out of this swamp.”

The defense minister said, “The Americans, who are leaders in strategic and calculation errors, have been caught in this quagmire along with the Zionist regime, and America will definitely be hit. Muslims, freedom fighters and countries in the region have some patience. Surely, all countries have different options on the table and are considering them.”

He also warned that if Israel and its supporters do not stop their mistakes, they will be harmed seriously in the region and beyond. 

“If this war is not stopped quickly and the Zionists and their supporters do not stop their big mistakes, they will definitely suffer serious damage at the regional and extra-regional level. Some European countries that help the Zionists should be careful not to incur the wrath of the Muslims of the world,” Ashtiyani said, according to IRNA. 

New equipment unveiling

The Iranian defense minister also said that a new long-range air defense system will be unveiled in the coming weeks. 

The new system is called Martyr Aliverdi. He did not offer more detail about the Martyr Aliverdi defense system. 

The defense minister also pointed to the end of the UN arms embargo on Iran, saying it would help Iran. 

“The end of the arms embargo will also increase our defense exports and imports,” he said, adding, “We have already had communication and defense interactions with different countries, and the lifting of the arms embargo can lead to more interactions.”

He continued, “We have very high capabilities in defense fields and many countries are requesting to buy some of these systems. Since the issue is related to defense, we consider all international conditions and regulations.”

Ashtiyani stated, “We have relations with many countries in this field. Internally, we have the ability to take care of the country's space with determination in the field of defense.”

Iran has developed domestic air defense systems that are known globally.