Mohsen Rezaei: Iran prepares for protracted war with US, targets AI facilities

Tehran's strategy of resilience

The Iranian side is convinced that the US has fallen into a trap of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East. At the same time, as noted in Tehran, a war of attrition will benefit Iran due to the presence of a developed network of underground military facilities and factories, which allows for the production of sufficient weapons for retaliatory strikes.

This was stated by Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic, in an interview with Drop Site.

«Війна на виснаження зіграє на руку Ірану і на шкоду Америці. Не слід оцінювати наші можливості лише за кількістю ракет, що залишаються на складі. У затяжному конфлікті ключовим є питання, чи може країна підтримувати безперервний цикл виробництва, розгортання та реагування. Ми показали, що навіть через місяці після початку війни все ще можемо завдавати витрат іншій стороні», — сказав Резаї. (A war of attrition will benefit Iran and harm America. One should not assess our capabilities solely by the number of missiles remaining in stock. In a protracted conflict, the key issue is whether a country can maintain a continuous cycle of production, deployment, and response. We have shown that even months after the start of the war, we can still inflict costs on the other side.)

Investments in underground infrastructure

According to the Iranian official, the regime has invested for years in creating reserve capabilities. Production has been decentralised, underground structures have been built, various launch systems have been created, and logistics have been prepared for rapid repair and restoration of damage.

Threats to US digital infrastructure

Mohsen Rezaei warned that in the event of a resumption of large-scale hostilities, Iranian military forces would, among other things, attack American communication cables, data centres, and artificial intelligence infrastructure facilities in the Middle East.

«Сполучені Штати мають цінні активи в регіоні. У разі війни кабелі, датацентри та об'єкти штучного інтелекту також можуть опинитися в зоні ураження. Якщо конфлікт поновиться, у нас буде масштабніший план», — зазначив Резаї. (The United States has valuable assets in the region. In the event of war, cables, data centres, and AI facilities may also come under fire. If the conflict resumes, we will have a larger plan.)

Risks for the Persian Gulf energy sector

Tehran also does not rule out strikes on the energy infrastructure of Persian Gulf states if they help the US maintain the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

«Якщо стратегія США полягає в затягуванні війни з використанням енергетичної інфраструктури сусідніх країн, їхнім урядам не слід вважати, що вони можуть брати участь в економічній війні проти Ірану, не наражаючи себе на ризик», — заявив іранський високопосадовець. (If the US strategy is to prolong the war using the energy infrastructure of neighbouring countries, their governments should not assume that they can participate in an economic war against Iran without putting themselves at risk.)

He added that Iran's goal is not to destroy the region's energy system, but to prevent situations where Iran's economy is under attack while the infrastructure of neighbouring countries supporting these attacks remains untouched.