‘Maximum use’: Iran boosts military strength during ceasefire with US
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- Iran's army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said Tehran made "maximum use of the opportunity" of the ceasefire, inducing existing equipment, importing new systems, repairing damaged hardware, and manufacturing new ones.
- Acting Defence Minister Majid Ebn-e Reza said missile and drone production "has not stopped for a single day," with drone output reaching three times its pre-war levels.
- IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Iran's missile production increased during the ceasefire, with accuracy improved using knowledge gained in battle.
- US media reports in June estimated Iran retained approximately 70% of its pre-war missile stockpile and 40% of its drone arsenal before the truce.
- Reuters reported Iran could soon receive up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air defence missile launchers via Pakistan — a claim China and Pakistan publicly denied.
- Former IRGC commander Hossein Kanani Moghaddam said missile components are being manufactured in undisclosed locations, partly explaining why Trump has repeatedly called off larger strikes against Iran.
Why it matters: Iran retained roughly 70% of its pre-war missiles and 40% of its drones while tripling drone production during the ceasefire — meaning a collapsed deal would face a reconstituted adversary, not a depleted one. Trump's pattern of publicly threatening large strikes and then retracting them gives Tehran predictable windows to rebuild, and Kanani Moghaddam's warning that "the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened through military attacks" signals a long attritional stalemate.
