The Iranian army said on Tuesday that newly deployed air defence systems have strengthened its combat capabilities and improved its ability to confront what it described as enemy aircraft.

Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami Nia, spokesperson for the Iranian army, said the new anti-aircraft equipment had entered active service and had significantly enhanced Iran’s defensive capabilities, enabling its forces to respond to hostile aircraft “with much greater force”.

In a press interview, Akrami Nia said Iran is going through “a highly sensitive historic moment”, adding that the performance of the Iranian people, the armed forces, the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would strengthen the country’s position in the region and internationally.

He reiterated that Iran “has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons”, saying the United States is using that allegation as a pretext for military attacks and the imposition of pressure and sanctions.

Akrami Nia also said the United States had made a strategic miscalculation in assessing Iran’s position, arguing that Washington believed Iran had become weaker following recent developments in the region.