Trump: Every Iranian ship is at the bottom of sea
President Donald Trump says U.S. strikes have sharply weakened Iran’s military capabilities, claiming Tehran now has fewer drones and missiles and asserting that its navy and air force have been destroyed.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Oct. 8 that U.S. and Israeli strikes had failed to weaken Iran’s domestic security forces. He praised police personnel for standing against attacks launched in February as part of Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion.
Khamenei made the comments on X as the U.S. Army released a battlefield identification guide designed to help American troops recognize members of Iran’s conventional military, known as the Artesh. The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security estimated in June that the Artesh’s ground forces numbered about 350,000 personnel.
“The criminal US-Zionist enemy’s desperate efforts and malicious attacks on the pillars of social order and security, which are unparalleled throughout history, have not caused the courageous personnel of the Police Force to waver even a fraction in their mission,” Khamenei wrote in a statement.
Khamenei singled out Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, known as FARAJA, accusing the United States and Israel of targeting the organization responsible for maintaining order inside the country.
“The focus and persistence of the criminal US-Zionist enemy in striking at the Police Force at its various levels, from its highest command levels down to those who are on the frontline, has only served to underscore the paramount importance of this institution more than ever,” he wrote.
Khamenei specifically praised Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, known as FARAJA, accusing the United States and Israel of targeting the institution responsible for maintaining domestic order. (Photo by Fars News Agency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Iran’s security apparatus is made up of three main branches: the Artesh, which primarily handles conventional territorial defense; the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, which protects the Islamic Republic and projects military power; and FARAJA, which oversees domestic law enforcement and internal security.
Iran’s FARAJA is responsible for domestic law enforcement and internal security. (REUTERS/Mohammed Salem Foreign media)
Led by Brig. Gen. Ahmadreza Radan, FARAJA maintains public order, enforces Iranian law and responds to civil unrest.
Iran Human Rights Monitor says the force has developed into a powerful internal security organization involved in suppressing anti-government protests, monitoring political activity and enforcing the regime’s ideological restrictions.
FARAJA, commanded by Brig. Gen. Ahmadreza Radan, is Iran’s principal domestic police organization. It is responsible for maintaining public order, enforcing the country’s laws and responding to civil unrest. ((Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
DISCOVER MORE: Man Shot Multiple Times Leaving Brentwood Business, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Says
The United States has also sanctioned Radan over his role in human rights abuses.
The Treasury Department designated him in September 2010, citing responsibility for beatings, killings and arbitrary arrests of protesters after Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election.
On Oct. 8, Khamenei also called for FARAJA to be expanded with additional personnel, equipment and technology, including artificial intelligence tools for analyzing data.
His comments came after the U.S. Army’s Training and Transformation Command published a “Know the Threat” recognition guide on Sept. 24. Defense News highlighted the guide on Oct. 9.
The guide features an Iranian special forces soldier and lists weapons U.S. troops could encounter, including AKM rifles, Iranian-made Masaf-2 rifles, German-designed G3 rifles, MG3 machine guns and RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
Iran’s regular military, the Artesh, is separate from the IRGC and its affiliated Basij militia. The Artesh operates through four branches: the Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Force.
A June assessment from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security put the Artesh’s Ground Forces at roughly 350,000 personnel, including 220,000 conscripts.
The assessment said the Artesh had sustained heavy losses in its air, naval and air defense branches during the opening phase of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign. Its ground forces, however, remained structurally intact because no ground invasion had taken place.
The Artesh, Iran’s regular military, is separate from the IRGC and its affiliated Basij militia. Its forces operate across four branches: the Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Force. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Artesh is commanded by Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, a former Iranian defense minister who assumed command in June 2025.
Aside from Khamenei, Hatami issued his own warning Oct. 6, claiming Iran’s adversaries faced “historic confusion” after failing to halt military production during the conflict.
Hatami also claimed that Iranian defense production continued despite American and Israeli attacks, saying the country’s military production lines had continued operating during the conflict.
The extent of Iran’s military recovery remains unclear. The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security assessed in June that the country’s conventional air, naval and air defense forces had suffered severe damage during the conflict.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said Oct. 8 that Washington would not resume military strikes against Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, citing “productive discussions” between the two countries.
