Top adviser to Iran's Revolutionary Guard leader sits down for rare interview | PBS News
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Top adviser to Iran's Revolutionary Guard leader sits down for rare interview
Aug 11, 2026 6:40 PM EDT
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Reza Sayah
Reza Sayah
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As the war with Iran continues its uneasy stalemate, we're hearing from a top adviser to the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the force largely responsible for border and internal security. The IRGC rarely gives interviews, and almost never to Western media. But Mohammad Reza Naqdi sat down in Tehran for an exclusive interview with special correspondent Reza Sayah.
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Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.
Geoff Bennett:
As the war with Iran continues its uneasy stalemate, we hear now from a top adviser to the overall commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the force largely responsible for border and internal security.<br>The U.S. and many other nations have designated it a terrorist organization. The IRGC, as it's known, rarely give interviews and almost never to Western media.<br>But Commander Mohammad Reza Naqdi sat down this morning in Tehran for an exclusive interview with special correspondent Reza Sayah.
Reza Sayah:
Commander Naqdi, thank you very much for sitting down with us.<br>It has been a long-running policy of Iran's Revolutionary Guard to never speak to American media. What changed? Why did you agree to sit with us?<br>Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, Supreme Adviser to IRGC Commander in Chief (through interpreter): In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful, we never received a request to reject it.<br>We would like for our voice to reach the ears of people in Western countries. It's Western media that don't like our voice to be heard. There's nothing we do that's indefensible and outside the values of humanity that we would want to cover up or not discuss.
Reza Sayah:
Let's talk about this war. Where do you see Iran in this juncture of the war? Do you see yourself as winning? Are you in control?
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi (through interpreter):
Certainly, victory is on our side, after the defeat of America's two main objectives, the toppling of the leadership and the breaking up of Iran.<br>We saw confusion and bewilderment in America. It became a war without a strategy. Every two or three days, they announced a new objective. For several nights, they said they want to invade Kharg Island. They said they want to open the Strait of Hormuz. They mobilized their battleships. Everything they tried, we can show how we were victorious.
Reza Sayah:
In your view, is it inevitable that Iran has won?
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi (through interpreter):
No, we have not yet reached our final objective. This is clear. Up until now, we are victorious. In the future, we will continue to be victorious.<br>The longer this war lasts, the more experience we gain. We had never seen a real war to gain real experience to learn how to fight with America. In these five months, we have learned how. We have also seen how the American military is weaker than what we perceived.
Reza Sayah:
Is it Iran's objective to drag out this war, to maybe wait until Mr. Trump is out of office?
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi (through interpreter):
Look, we have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security. 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.
Reza Sayah:
This week, on at least two occasions, maybe more, Iranian forces attacked non=military ships that were trying to cross through the Strait of Hormuz.<br>What is Iran's objective in attacking civilian ships?
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi (through interpreter):
When we are at war, vessels need to pass through a region we can control. When they leave an area that we control, it could be that they're transporting supplies for the enemy.
Reza Sayah:
Do you not see that as a violation of international law, attacking civilian ships?
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi (through interpreter):
When you're in a state of war, any thoroughfare deemed to be a threat, we can control it. This is international law. Anywhere in the world where there is war, this law exists.
Reza Sayah:
One of your most effective weapons in this war has been your missiles and your drones. Reports said before the war you had...