Iran's Revolutionary Guards say Tehran used ceasefire to expand military capacity

TEHRAN, Iran — A spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tehran used the ongoing ceasefire period to strengthen its military capabilities, in contrast with the United States, which he said failed to capitalize on the same window. IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mahbi said in remarks Tuesday that Iran had assessed the ceasefire by accelerating missile production, increasing strike accuracy, raising its military readiness level and reinforcing its air defense systems. Mahbi also pointed to reported U.S. petroleum reserve shortfalls, arguing that Washington had been unable to turn the ceasefire period into an opportunity or to close the gap in its oil stocks. Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, separately said Iran's resilience, weapons capacity and reconstruction pace had exceeded expectations. The comments came a day after The New York Times reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had postponed plans for military escalation against Iran over concerns about depleting stocks of Patriot missiles and air defense munitions.