IRGC commander: America 'weaker' than we perceived

EXCLUSIVE: A top adviser to the overall commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) tells PBS News Hour that the U.S. military is "weaker than what we perceived."

"The longer this war lasts, the more experience we gain," Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi said Tuesday in an interview with special correspondent Reza Sayah. "We had never seen a real war to gain real experience to learn how to fight with America. In these five months, we have learned how."

The IRGC is largely responsible for Iran's border and internal security. The U.S. and many other nations have designated it a terrorist organization, and the IRGC rarely gives interviews — almost never to Western media.

Sayah asked Naqdi if it is Iran's objective to drag out the war until President Donald Trump leaves office.

"Look, we have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security," Naqdi said. "One way is to prolong this war until we get to the next term of the presidency and cause attrition, so that if anyone else wants to attack Iran, they will know there is a cost."

For more from the interview, including the White House's response, visit the PBS News website.

Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins

Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters

PBS News podcasts

Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app

Find more from PBS News at

Subscribe to our YouTube channel