TEHRAN -- Iran has prepared new weapons, equipment, technologies and tactics to be unveiled on the battlefield under the principle of surprise if another war breaks out, the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics said.
Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik said Iranian military commanders have deliberately kept details of the country’s planned military capabilities confidential so they can serve as “surprises” on the battlefield.
“Surprises in weapons, equipment, technology and tactics have been prepared

 in accordance with the principle of surprise, and they will be seen on the battlefield,” Talaei-Nik was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Talaei-Nik described Iran’s ability to maintain the supply of weapons and military equipment throughout the war as another major surprise, saying the country’s armed forces and defense industry did not face critical shortages despite the scale of the war.
“One of the other surprises was that the Islamic Republic of Iran, its fighters, armed forces and defense industry did not run short in the battlefield, either in terms of defense capabilities or in terms of logistical support and defensive weapons,” he said.
He said one of the most significant surprises was the failure of the opposing side to accurately assess Iran’s ability to withstand prolonged war. 
“They thought that in the first days, our resilience and endurance in the defense industry, the armed forces, society, the economy, the government and the state would collapse,” he said. “But exactly the opposite happened.” 
Talaei-Nik said Iran’s armed forces and defense industry have emerged from the war stronger than they were before the 40-day Ramadan war, adding that the experience has reinforced a principle of continuous learning within the military establishment.“During the war and through operational, tactical, strategic and technical experiences, we constantly improve our learning, skills, tactics, techniques and strategies,” he said.
Talaei-Nik said one of the main lessons Iran has drawn from its recent wars is the need to turn wartime experience into technological and industrial advances.
“Every war and major event has damaging and costly consequences, but at the same time creates new opportunities,” he said.
Iran’s defense production more than doubled between the 12-day war and the subsequent 40-day Ramadan war, he said, attributing the increase to cooperation among the armed forces, the Army, the IRGC, private companies and knowledge-based firms.
He added that production of some weapons and equipment is significantly cheaper than foreign equivalents, as Iran seeks to reduce the cost of its defense systems.
“We have focused on making the production of weapons, equipment and ammunition more economical,” Talaei-Nik said, adding that the production cost of some Iranian systems was between one and 20 times lower than comparable foreign products.
Talaei-Nik said about 9,300 companies are part of Iran’s defense industry supply network, with two-thirds of the sector relying on knowledge-based and private companies for components, raw materials, and subsystems.
He said the network allowed weapons and equipment production to continue even when some factories were damaged, and that production of some equipment increased several-fold.
Iran produces more than 1,000 types of weapons, military equipment, and ammunition domestically, giving its defense industry a self-sufficiency rate of about 90 percent, Talaei-Nik said.
The Defense Ministry spokesman said Iran’s defense sector has also moved beyond reverse engineering and copying foreign systems.
“Our scientific and defense community has gone beyond the stage of copying and reverse engineering,” he said, highlighting drone and ballistic missile technologies as areas in which Iran no longer needs to rely on reverse engineering.
He said Iran is moving toward a leading global position in areas such as long-range missiles, cruise missiles and drones, while arms exports will continue based on available surplus.
Talaei-Nik said Iran’s defense doctrine has been adjusted operationally in response to changes in the battlefield and developments in the region and on the opposing side.
He described the main doctrine of the recent defense effort as “combined and asymmetric.”
It involves maintaining and increasing the elements of active deterrence while employing a defensive approach with offensive methods, “with the aim of defense but using offensive approaches so that the enemy does not have the initiative.”
He said the Ministry of Defense’s support strategy follows the broader operational and defense strategy and responds to requirements communicated by the armed forces and the central Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters.
Talaei-Nik said the number of Defense Ministry personnel martyred in the 40-day war was half the number martyred during the 12-day war, despite the longer duration and greater intensity of the later war.
He attributed the reduction in casualties to measures adopted after the 12-day war, particularly improvements in air defense against advanced and strategic drones.
“The main capability of the Ministry of Defense is its human capital, which has been preserved,” he said.
The commander of Dezful air defense, Colonel Habibollah Ghiasvand, said Iran’s air defense forces have shot down more than 200 strategic drones belonging to American and Israeli forces. 
He said the air defense forces successfully downed numerous micro-drones and strategic drones including “Hermes” and “MQ-9” during the 12-day and 40-day wars.
Ghiasvand said Iran has achieved self-sufficiency in the design and production of advanced defense systems, and these systems are continuously being strengthened and updated.
“Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on the knowledge and scientific capability of the country’s young specialists, is not dependent on any country for strengthening and updating its artillery, missile and defense systems,” he said.
Colonel Ghiasvand also recalled the role of air defense during the eight-year Iraq war, saying it shot down 600 enemy aircraft, 67 helicopters and neutralized 24,863 aerial attacks. 
Since the 12-day war began on June 23, 2025, he said, air defense forces have demonstrated Iran’s deterrent power to the world.