President Donald Trump says American strikes have significantly degraded Iran’s military capabilities, leaving the country with fewer drones and missiles. He also asserted that Iran’s navy and air force had been destroyed, as reported by Fox News.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei delivered a sharply different message Oct. 8, claiming American and Israeli strikes failed to weaken Iran’s domestic security forces. He praised police personnel for resisting attacks launched in February under Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion.

Khamenei’s statement came as the U.S. Army distributed a new battlefield identification guide intended to help American troops recognize members of Iran’s conventional military, known as the Artesh.

The Artesh Ground Forces were estimated by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security in June to include approximately 350,000 personnel. That figure included 220,000 conscripts.

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“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 on X.

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.

— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) October 8, 2026

Khamenei specifically praised Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, known as FARAJA. He accused the United States and Israel of targeting the institution responsible for preserving domestic order.

“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.

Iran’s security apparatus contains three main branches. The Artesh focuses primarily on conventional territorial defense, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps protects the Islamic Republic and projects military power, and FARAJA handles domestic law enforcement and internal security.

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FARAJA is commanded by Brig. Gen. Ahmadreza Radan. The organization maintains public order, enforces Iranian laws, and responds to civil unrest.

According to Iran Human Rights Monitor, FARAJA has developed into a powerful internal security institution involved in suppressing demonstrations against the government. It also monitors political activity and enforces the regime’s ideological restrictions.

The United States has sanctioned Radan for his role in human rights abuses. The Treasury Department designated him in September 2010, citing his responsibility for beatings, killings and arbitrary arrests following Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election.

Khamenei also called Oct. 8 for FARAJA to be strengthened with additional personnel, equipment and technology. His proposals included using artificial intelligence for data analysis.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Army’s Training and Transformation Command published its “Know the Threat” recognition guide Sept. 24, and Defense News highlighted it Oct. 9. The guide depicts an Iranian special forces soldier and identifies weapons American troops could encounter.

Those weapons include AKM rifles, Masaf-2 rifles made in Iran, German-designed G3 rifles, MG3 machine guns, and RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

The Artesh is separate from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its affiliated Basij militia. It operates through four branches consisting of the Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Force.

The June assessment from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security found that the Artesh suffered severe losses across its air, naval, and air defense components during the opening phase of the American and Israeli military campaign.

Its ground forces remained structurally intact because no ground invasion had occurred, according to the assessment. The scope of Iran’s broader military recovery remains unclear.

The Artesh is commanded by Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, a former Iranian defense minister who assumed command in June 2025. Hatami issued his own warning Oct. 6, claiming Iran’s adversaries faced “historic confusion” after failing to stop military production during the conflict.

Hatami also claimed Iran’s defense production continued despite American and Israeli attacks. He said the country’s military production lines remained operational during the conflict.

Trump said Oct. 8 that Washington would not resume military strikes against Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. He cited “productive discussions” between the two countries as the reason for holding off.

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