Iran: 'We'll extend our missile range'

Iran is drawing lessons from its war with the US, with one of them directly involving a key component of its military capabilities. Iranian military spokesman Mohammad Akramnia announced Sunday that Tehran has decided to work on extending the range of its missiles based on experience gained during the fighting. Akramnia made the comments to Iran's Fars News Agency. According to Reuters, the Iranian military spokesman said Iran would upgrade the range of its missiles. The announcement comes as Iran's military and political leadership increasingly emphasizes that it is preparing for the possibility of renewed conflict. For Tehran, the move is not merely a declaration of intent but part of an effort to draw lessons from the war. Akramnia linked the need to extend the missiles' range to experience gained during the conflict and said Iran has already begun taking steps in that direction. The comments are part of a series of increasingly forceful statements from Iran in recent days. Last week, Akramnia said Iran's armed forces were prepared for a confrontation in the event of further US strikes, warning that the US would, in his assessment, suffer greater damage if it attacked again. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also addressed the possibility of renewed military action on Sunday. Speaking to ambassadors and diplomats in Tehran, he said Iran hopes Washington will choose the diplomatic path, but made clear that his country is also preparing for the alternative. "If they turn again to military solutions, we are more prepared than before and will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves," Araghchi said. Meanwhile, tensions continue over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Parliament Speaker and Tehran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran will not reopen the strait until the US fulfills the seven conditions Tehran set as part of understandings reached in June.