IRGC Aerospace Force commander: A full-scale war would have set Iran back 20 years

Shafaq News/ The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Force (IRGC-AF), Amir Ali Hajizadeh, announced that Iran was capable of waging a full-scale war in the region.

Speaking to journalists, Hajizadeh stated, “We could have struck all their bases in the region and killed many of them, but they would have attacked us as well, resulting in the deaths of 20,000 of our civilians and military personnel within a month.”

“This would have set the country back 15 or 20 years... and that is illogical.”

Hajizadeh emphasized, “The IRGC’s calculations were precise and based on safeguarding national interests,” stressing that “engaging in such a war would have resulted in significant civilian and military losses.”

IRGC-AF commander's statements come amid heightened tensions in the region following the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Israel's initiation of a targeted ground operation in southern Lebanon. This situation could lead to a full-scale war involving the parties supporting Israel—primarily the United States—on one side, and those supporting Hezbollah and Hamas, mainly Iran and the Axis of Resistance, which includes Yemen's Houthi movement (Ansarallah), Iraqi factions, and other forces.