Iran declared it is “ready to share the experiences of America’s defeat” with its allies on Tuesday, April 28. Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan, Deputy Defense Minister Reza Talaei-Nik said Tehran is willing to pass those lessons to “independent countries,” particularly fellow SCO members, according to Reuters.
The remarks coincided with a visit to Moscow by Iran’s foreign minister, amid Russia’s pledge of full support for Tehran.
The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus among the bloc’s later additions.
The US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February. Washington initially said the war aimed to topple the Iranian regime and curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, later arguing the regime had been toppled – despite the supreme leader being replaced by his son.
As of April 26, the ceasefire between the US and Iran remains in place, with intermittent negotiations aimed at addressing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, though talks remain deadlocked.
While the US has stopped short of a ground invasion, it has used some of its advanced weaponry against Iran, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSMs), and SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors.
The US has also used its most advanced stealth fighters for precision strikes inside Iran, while Iran has shot down at least two US jets – an F-15 fighter and an A-10 attacker – in the conflict.
Knowing how to counter these weapons – or simply gaining data on how they perform in real-world conditions – could be of interest to Washington’s potential adversaries.
In a similar vein, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) previously argued in November that Tehran was gathering data on Western defenses by providing Moscow with new drones used against Ukraine.
Russia would have motivation to gather data on the Tomahawk missiles, as they have not been used in Ukraine thus far after Washington denied Kyiv’s earlier appeals. China would also benefit from such data, as it has refused to rule out military campaigns against Taiwan, with the US serving as the island’s key military backer.
The war in Iran is also reportedly depleting US arms stockpiles. According to a Washington-based think tank, the US has used at least 45% of its Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), nearly half of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, about 30% of its Tomahawk cruise missiles, more than 20% of its JASSMs, and roughly 20% of its SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors.
Unnamed officials told the Financial Times (FT) in April that it might take years to replenish the stockpiles, with other officials telling the Wall Street Journal that Washington might not be able to come to Taiwan’s aid in the near future due to the depletion.
However, the White House has officially ruled out concerns about the stockpile, saying the US has “more than enough weapons and munitions” to fight any war it needs.