Iranian General Threatens To Unleash ‘Asymmetric Warfare’ On Manhattan

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander threatened that Tehran could unleash “asymmetric warfare” on Manhattan, warning that Iran has not yet exhausted its options in the ongoing war.

Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), made the remarks in an interview translated and published by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

Naqdi said Iran has so far fought a “traditional war,” using drones and missiles but has not yet entered what he called “asymmetric warfare.”

“Asymmetric warfare means that we carry out actions, and the enemy does not know where, when, or with what means,” he said. “Even if they realize what is happening, they do not have the means to deal with it.”

Senior IRGC General Mohammad Reza Naqdi Threatens “Asymmetric War” in Wall Street and Manhattan – Anywhere, Anytime; Adds: The People Plundering Palestine Should Return to Their Countries if They Want to Save Their Lives – Otherwise They’ll Be Massacred Like the Jewish Tribe in… pic.twitter.com/B1ygTlwzFV

— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) September 1, 2026

Naqdi said such tactics could mean “war in Wall Street and Manhattan,” adding that Iran could launch such an attack “at any time” using capabilities it has not yet employed.

“So far the need has not arisen and we managed to run the war and defend ourselves with drones and missiles,” he said. 

In an interview with PBS News last month, Naqdi similarly warned that Iran could target American economic interests if its missile arsenal were depleted.

“I will make this point, and this is more important than missiles,” Naqdi said through an interpreter. “If there comes a day when Iran has no more missiles left, that’s when we will be even more dangerous for America.”

Asked how Iran could become more dangerous without missiles, Naqdi responded that the United States has “thousands of economic interests throughout the world,” which he claimed could be “easily destroyed.”

At the same time, Naqdi claimed Iran has no immediate shortage of missiles. Asked about reports that Iran had entered the war with between 3,000 and 4,000 missiles, he said the country manufactures more missiles each day than it launches. 

“In a country this vast, we can make them wherever we want,” he said. 

U.S. intelligence estimated in May that Iran retained about 70% of its prewar missile stockpile and roughly 70% of its mobile launchers, according to The New York Times. 

When asked whether production was taking place deep underground, he said Iran uses “various ways to manufacture them securely.”

“Rest assured, even if this war lasts for years, until the last day, Iran’s rockets will be launched,” he added.

Naqdi also rejected the idea that Iran needs a nuclear bomb as a deterrent.

“Our nuclear bomb is the hearts of the people of the world that we won fighting oppression,” he said. He added that “Islamic values and the divine values of the Islamic Revolution are taking over the world.”

Naqdi said there was “no need for nuclear bombs” or “slaughter,” arguing instead that prolonging the conflict could impose costs on the United States and strengthen Iran’s deterrence.

“We have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security,” he said. “One way is to prolong this war until we get to the next term of the presidency and cause attrition, so that if anyone else wants to attack Iran, they will know there is a cost.”

Naqdi also defended Iranian attacks on non-military vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. 

“When you’re in a state of war, any thoroughfare deemed to be a threat, we can control it,” he said. “Anywhere in the world where there is war, this law exists.” 

He said vessels could be carrying supplies for an adversary after leaving an area controlled by Iran.

Asked about the possibility of the United States using a nuclear weapon, Naqdi warned that doing so could trigger attacks against American military installations. 

“The morning after they use a bomb, all of America’s military bases around the world will be occupied,” he said. He argued that the world had changed since World War II and that other countries would not allow such an attack to go unanswered.

Naqdi has held senior positions within the IRGC’s Basij forces and was designated by the U.S. government in 2011 over allegations that he was responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses following Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election.

According to the Treasury Department, he was involved in the Basij’s violent response to protests in December 2009, when up to 15 people were killed and hundreds arrested. He had previously headed the Basij intelligence unit, which was involved in interrogations and forced confessions.

Treasury also said Naqdi was involved with the Kahrizak detention center, where at least three demonstrators reportedly died from injuries sustained during detention.

The United Nations designated Naqdi in March 2008, citing his role in evading sanctions, not to mention his involvement in or support for Iran’s proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities and development of nuclear delivery systems. The U.N. removed him from the sanctions list in October 2023 after the sanctions expired, but returned him to the list in September 2025.

The European Union separately listed him in 2008 over links to Iran’s nuclear program and again in 2011 over his crackdown on protestors.