TEHRAN — Iran’s military doctrine has shifted from a defensive posture to an offensive one, with the armed forces prepared to launch preemptive strikes if deemed necessary, Iranian Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Muhammad Akraminia said Wednesday.
Akraminia told reporters that the change has already been implemented and that its effects were evident in Iran’s “rapid response” to the U.S.-Israeli aggression that began in late February.
“Today, this change in doctrine has thankfully been implemented, and its effects are visible,” he said. “We have
 shifted this military doctrine towards an offensive military doctrine.”
Akraminia described the shift as a “precious legacy” of Major General Seyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, the late Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, who was martyred in the U.S.-Israeli aggression. He said the change had been pursued under the directives of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
He said the new doctrine was reflected in Iran’s “crushing response” to enemy attacks and its “preemptive” actions.
“Preemptive action is a legitimate action under international law and the [UN] Charter, of course, when it is accompanied by the principles of proportionality and necessity,” he said, referring to Iranian strikes on a U.S. base in Jordan as American forces were mobilizing troops and equipment for further attacks on Iran.
“Overall, one of the achievements of the current war was this change in doctrine,” Akraminia said, adding that the shift was still “undergoing its own evolutionary stages.”
He said the process will continue until Iran achieves “complete deterrence against enemy threats.”
“Our armed forces will certainly continue this course and, within the same framework, that is, with an offensive approach, will employ newer equipment, tactics, and arenas in any future war,” he said.
Akraminia warned that any “miscalculation” by Iran’s adversaries will draw an “immediate” Iranian response and could expand a future war across the region.
He cited the Bab el-Mandab Strait and a U.S. base in Syria as examples of areas that became part of the current war despite previously falling outside its geographical scope.
“Today, threats exist across the entire region, and we have the capabilities to confront and deal with them,” he said.
He warned that a future war could also involve the region’s energy infrastructure and underwater communications networks in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
“Anywhere the enemy has interests could, in the event of aggression, fall within the framework of legitimate targets for the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This means entering new domains of warfare,” Akraminia said.
Separately, Brig. Gen. Alireza Elhami, commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force, said successful air defense systems used during the recent U.S.-Israeli aggression will be replicated, while new equipment and tactics are being developed based on lessons learned during the war.
Speaking during a ceremony at a specialized hospital affiliated with the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force on Wednesday, Elhami said the force is operating with “100-percent readiness.”
“Full and 100-percent surveillance is being conducted along all of the country’s borders, and Iran’s air defense network is continuously monitoring the country’s airspace,” he said.
Responding to claims that Iran’s air defense equipment had been destroyed, Elhami pointed to the downing of a strategic and expensive U.S. military drone.
“If our air defense assets had been destroyed and we were not capable of defending the country’s airspace today, with what systems were the enemy’s strategic and expensive drones, as well as its strategic and effective fighter jets, shot down?” he said.
Elhami emphasized the air defense force’s reliance on domestic capabilities.
“We are increasing our systems and replicating those that performed well during the 40-day war,” he said, adding that new systems and equipment were also being produced based on experiences gained during the recent aggression.
He said the development and production of the new systems and equipment are being carried out entirely through Iranian knowledge and expertise.
Regarding the changing nature of aerial threats, Elhami said they have become highly advanced technologically.
“Some air defense equipment must be modified in line with the type of threat, so that it can respond to today’s threats,” he said.