Iran aerospace museum showcases military ambition and advances after Israel war

One woman wearing a black chador, an all-encompassing garment some observant Muslim women wear, took pictures of a young boy in front of a truck-mounted missile launcher. Some of the larger missiles stretched from floor to ceiling, and visitors were allowed to scribble their own messages, like “Death to America,” in black marker on replicas.

“This place is a symbol of believing in ourselves, a place that says we can,” IRGC Maj. Gen. Ali Balali, who is the director of the museum, said in an interview. “Most of the missiles here were used in the recent war, and these aren’t even our latest.”

“All of these missiles are domestic,” he added. “Even if they surround our country with cement and barbed wire, we will still build.”

There is a mounting sense that war may once again be around the corner. Iranian officials are sounding increasingly bullish after the vulnerabilities exposed by its 12-day conflict with Israel this summer, which included the U.S. bombing of its nuclear facilities.