Iran's Foreign Minister in Pakistan for talks as military warns unused missile capability remains

Even as Iran's Foreign Minister Syed Aragchi arrived in Islamabad for bilateral talks — and a possible meeting with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — Tehran's military struck a markedly hard line, signalling that significant firepower remains unused. In remarks to state media, Defence Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik said a large portion of Iran's "missile capability has not been used" during recent hostilities, underscoring what he described as deliberate strategic restraint.

The spokesperson also asserted that the "Armed Forces had full control over the skies of the occupied territories" until just before the ceasefire came into effect. According to Press TV, the comments point to Iran retaining substantial advanced weaponry in reserve even as diplomatic channels reopen. Talaei-Nik highlighted the country's domestic defence ecosystem, saying weapons production is sustained by a "thoroughly indigenous production line", ensuring self-sufficiency.

"This capacity is the result of more than 25 years of investment and preparation in the defence industry, to the extent that even if some facilities are damaged, the process of production and support continues across the country's geographical expanse," he said. He further told Press TV that, "In this process, around 9,000 companies are cooperating with the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence."

Talaei-Nik also framed Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz — shut in response to what Tehran describes as an American blockade — as a strategic lever. The waterway "has become a lever of control for realising the demands of the Iranian nation," he said. Press TV cited him as claiming that Iranian forces had forced "enemy forces retreat in the Gulf of Oman" through "smart and thorough control" of the chokepoint.

On the domestic front, the spokesperson described recent pro-establishment rallies as a "social miracle," adding that more than 30 million people had signed up for a national campaign declaring they are "ready to stand strongly in defence of the nation." The assertive messaging comes alongside signs of internal divisions over diplomacy. A new assessment by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi and his "inner circle" have "repeatedly blocked attempts" by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and other "pragmatist" officials to push for a "more flexible negotiating position."