Iran on Monday warned that a new war with Israel could erupt at any moment, raising concerns of a fresh escalation after a deadly 12-day confrontation in June.
Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stressed the need for full preparedness.
“A new war with Israel may break out at any moment. We must be strong and ready,” Iranian state media reported.
The remarks come as Tehran seeks to recover from its recent defeat, which propaganda outlets have attempted to explain as a “long game” strategy. Officials claimed Iran was conserving its forces and planning missile attacks for an extended fight. However, analysts say that in any future clash, Iran is likely to launch a more forceful strike from the outset to counter the perception that it can be subdued by Israel’s military dominance.
At the same time, Iranian state media have consistently emphasized that Tehran has launched an active program to modernize and strengthen the armed forces. Against this backdrop, a wave of rumors has circulated about possible deliveries of advanced fighter jets and air-defense systems from Russia and China. To clarify the facts, Defence Blog spoke with Babak Taghvaee, a leading expert on Iranian military affairs.
On fighter aircraft procurement, Taghvaee said: “Two years ago, a contract was finalized for the acquisition of 25 former Egyptian Su-35SEs from Russia. As part of this arrangement, a group of Iranian pilots and engineers underwent training in Russia. However, the deal was canceled on the direct order of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in February or March 2025. This cancellation led to the sale of 15 of these aircraft to Algeria, with Algerian defense officials having traveled to Iran in January 2025 to review the matter.”
He added that persistent rumors of an Iranian move to buy J-10CE fighters from China are unfounded. “The Chinese government appears unwilling to sell the jets to Iran, and within the regime itself there is neither the budget nor the political will to pursue such a purchase,” he explained.
Air defense remains another area of focus. According to Taghvaee, both the Iranian Air Defense Force (IRIADF) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGCASF) have adopted new practices since the June conflict. “Based on lessons learned during the war, both the IRIADF and IRGCASF have adopted a policy of regularly repositioning their mobile short- and medium-range air-defense systems. Even after the war ended on June 25, 2025, daily and weekly redeployments of these systems have continued, as confirmed by satellite imagery,” he said.
Taghvaee also pointed to changes around Iran’s most sensitive sites. “The deployment and layering of air-defense systems around nuclear facilities have been restructured. However, it is important to note that no operational S-300PMU-2 batteries remain in Iran, and the only Bavar-373 long-range SAM system had its radars destroyed. Nevertheless, short- and medium-range systems are still actively used to defend nuclear sites,” he noted.
The warning from Safavi, coupled with Tehran’s messaging campaign and the operational changes described by Taghvaee, underscores Iran’s effort to project readiness while grappling with the setbacks of recent months. With Israel signaling it will act decisively against any threat, the region remains on edge, facing the possibility of another conflict erupting without warning.