Yadollah Javani, IRGC political deputy, likens war with the US to the world wars

Yadollah Javani, the political deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, described the Islamic Republic's war with the United States as equal to the two world wars in its consequences and claimed the conflict could change the balance of power in the world. His remarks are the latest sign of a sharper tone among IRGC commanders at a time when Washington is speaking of an imminent decision on the Islamic Republic.

Javani also said the Islamic Republic has passed the danger of a surprise attack and that its armed forces are ready to respond to any new move. He claimed the Islamic Republic's enemies had expected to win within 48 to 72 hours after Ali Khamenei was killed.

Simultaneous threats from IRGC commanders

The remarks by the IRGC's political deputy come alongside a series of other threats from the Islamic Republic's military officials in recent days. Hossein Mohebbi, the IRGC spokesman, has said the United States may carry out new attacks before the midterm elections in November. Ali Azmaei, an IRGC Navy commander, had earlier threatened to sink American warships if they approach the Strait of Hormuz — a claim that US Central Command rejected. Mohammad-Reza Naqdi, a senior adviser to the IRGC commander, has also claimed that a US ground attack would end with large numbers of American forces being taken prisoner.

On the other side, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has said Washington has accepted "some" of the Islamic Republic's seven conditions for easing tensions through Qatari and Omani mediators; officials of the Islamic Republic call the American response insufficient. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has also said the Islamic Republic is ready for both diplomacy and war.

The "no war, no negotiations" strategy and its cost to Iranians

Hardline media tied to the authorities, including Kayhan, Javan and state broadcaster IRIB, back the "no war, no negotiations" strategy — one that puts preserving the Islamic Republic's levers of pressure ahead of reducing the immediate risk of war escalating. It is the Iranian people who pay for this strategy: crude oil exports have fallen to zero, attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz continue, and meanwhile US President Donald Trump has said a decision on the Islamic Republic will be announced "soon".

The IRGC's political deputy speaks of a "world war" while Iran's economy is collapsing under the weight of war and blockade.