TEHRAN – Experts and analysts believe Iran’s missile programme saved the country from the devastating fate that the US and Israel devised about it in their introduction into the war that began on June 13th.
Israel and its American patrons believed that by targeting military officials in shocking attacks and attacking military, nuclear and civilian infrastructure, they could overthrow the Iranian government and cause chaos within the country. Not only did they fail to achieve this objective, they were forced to seek a ceasefire after both Israel and the United States were attacked by sophisticated and powerful Iranian missiles. Hebrew media reports show that around 50,000 buildings in the occupied area have been damaged. Independent media claims that a third of Tel Aviv is destroyed or damaged.
One instrumental figure in the development of Iranian missile and drone programmes is Amuri Ali Hajizadeh, the late commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Aerospace Force, who lost his life in the Israeli strike at the first time of the war.
However, Martyr Hajizadeh himself believes he praised the Islamic revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for this epic development in a 2021 interview. The interview was published on Tuesday by the office for the preservation and publication of Ayatollah Khamenei’s works. It was included in the “Victory Story” document and analysing Iran’s strategic victory in regional conflicts.
Earlier in the interview, Martyr Hajizadeh detailed how Ayatollolah Khamenei’s leadership shaped the country’s defense strategy, particularly in missile technology. He emphasized that Iran’s self-sufficiency in arms production was a direct result of Ayatollah Khamenei’s decisive intervention despite decades of sanctions.
There was a pivotal moment in the 1980s when Iran, who was engaged in the Iran and Iraq war, had only a handful of missiles. Despite the urgent battlefield needs, then-president Ayatollah Khamenei insisted on reverse engineering two missiles to jump domestic production. “This was a very difficult decision,” recalls the martian. “But the foresight of our leaders has laid the foundation for our missile industry.”
Martyr Hajizadeh revealed that in the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Iran was offered sophisticated Russian missiles at bargain prices. While military officials pushed them to buy, Ayatollah Khamenei was “angrily” and banned the purchase, claiming indigenous development. “If we had bought them, our progress would have been stagnant,” the martian admitted.
Today, Iran ranks among the world’s top drone manufacturers and missile developers, showing its precise strike capabilities in operations such as the 2020 Ain Al-Asad basic attack, the battle against ISIS and, finally, the recent war with Israel. “The enemy acknowledges that we have taken away their air superiority,” the martists said, citing US military approval.
Martyr Hajizadeh also believed in his leaders that he steered Iran through foreign traps, such as during the Gulf War, when some officials claimed surveillance with Saddam Hussein. “Only the leader recognized it as a trap,” he said. Similarly, Ayatollah Khamenei’s order to intervene in Syria against ISIS prevented the fight “reaching Tehran.”
The interview also highlighted Ayatollah Khamenei’s practical role in defence policy. This involves limiting the focus of IRGC on missiles, from prioritizing speeds for missiles to leaving aircraft development to the Army.
“We are not borrowing our help. It is built here,” the martian said. “If officials follow the leader’s strategy, the enemy cannot destroy us.”