TEHRAN – Iran’s Army 
Commander-in-Chief Major General Amir Hatami on Monday called for an in-depth analysis of the recent 12-day war, describing it as a “unique experience” that must serve as a foundation for preparing the country’s armed forces for future hybrid and cognitive warfare.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 86th Defensive Management Course at the Army’s Command and Staff University in Tehran, Hatami said the lessons learned from the short but intense conflict are strategically invaluable. 
“The era of single-force operations is over; even joint operations are evolving. We are entering a phase of cognitive warfare and hybrid threats. We may have only fought for 12 days, but the value of those lessons equals 12 years,” he stated.
Hatami urged military institutions, particularly the Army’s elite academic centers, to seriously engage in studying the war’s operational, tactical, and strategic dimensions. 
“This is no ordinary episode in our military history. It must be dissected with precision to guide the future of Iran’s defense posture,” he added.
The top general used the occasion to push back against foreign narratives that attempt to blame Iran’s Islamic system for regional instability, sanctions, and war. 
“The enemy tries to portray our problems, including the unjust sanctions and even the eight-year imposed war, as consequences of the Islamic Republic. But this 12-day war alone proves the falsity of such claims,” Hatami said.
He stressed that Iran was attacked during a time of active diplomacy, echoing past aggressions such as the Iran-Iraq War, in which both Western and Eastern powers backed Saddam Hussein in a failed attempt to weaken the Islamic Republic. 
“Throughout history, including in the First and Second World Wars, Iran has faced aggression despite seeking neutrality, due to its strategic importance,” he noted.
Hatami also emphasized the ongoing importance of defending Iran’s sovereignty and revolutionary values. 
“Iran’s geographical and political position makes defending our independence, territorial integrity, and the Islamic system more difficult than for most countries. The Iranian nation is proud and resilient,
 and this makes the mission of our armed forces even more weighty,” he said.
During the ceremony, the Army honored Major General Hassani Saadi, a veteran of the eight-year Sacred Defense, and posthumously awarded the graduation diploma of Colonel Alireza Boostan-Afrouz, a martyr of Iran’s air defense forces who was killed in a recent Israeli strike on Tehran. The diploma was presented to his family in a gesture of respect and remembrance.
Hatami concluded by reiterating that the 12-day war marks the beginning of a new chapter in modern warfare. “We experienced a hybrid war firsthand, and this rare opportunity must not go unstudied. We have entered a new era—our readiness must evolve accordingly.”