A top adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the U.S. military is weaker than Iran previously perceived.

This assessment comes as Tehran seeks to project confidence and strategic endurance during a period of active hostilities with Western powers. The rhetoric suggests a shift in how Iran views its own tactical capabilities relative to American forces.

Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a top adviser to the overall commander of the IRGC, made the comments during a rare interview on Tuesday. He said that Iran has gained significant combat experience over the past five months [1] of the war.

Naqdi said the conflict has provided a practical education in American military operations. "We had never seen a real war to gain real experience to learn how to fight with America," Naqdi said. "In these five months, we have learned how" [1].

The hostilities began in February of this year [2] after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks. Naqdi said that the duration of the conflict has worked in Iran's favor, allowing the military to better understand how to fight the United States.

"The longer this war lasts, the more experience we gain," Naqdi said [1].

Beyond tactical experience, Naqdi addressed the political timeline of the conflict. He said Iran could prolong the war until President Donald Trump is out of office [3].

This strategy of attrition indicates that Tehran is viewing the conflict through both a military and a political lens. By extending the timeline, the IRGC believes it can leverage the internal political cycles of the U.S. to its own advantage [3].

“"The longer this war lasts, the more experience we gain."”

The statements from Brig. Gen. Naqdi indicate that Iran is transitioning from a deterrent posture to one of active combat learning. By framing the U.S. military as weaker than expected and emphasizing the value of recent experience, the IRGC is signaling to its domestic audience and regional allies that the cost of conflict with the U.S. is manageable. Furthermore, the explicit mention of President Trump's term suggests that Tehran is employing a strategy of political attrition, betting that the U.S. political will to sustain the war will expire before Iran's own capacity to resist.