Iran Adopts Offensive Military Doctrine, Army Spokesman Says

By Staff, Agencies

An Iranian Army spokesman said the country has shifted its military doctrine from a defensive to an offensive posture, stressing that the armed forces are prepared to carry out preemptive strikes when necessary.

Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said Wednesday that the shift has already been implemented and was reflected in Iran's rapid response to the US-"Israeli" aggression that began in late February.

Akraminia described the change as a legacy of Major General Seyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, the late Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, who was martyred during the aggression. He said the shift was pursued under the directives of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

He said the new doctrine includes preemptive action, which he argued can be legitimate under international law when based on the principles of necessity and proportionality.

"Overall, one of the achievements of the current war was this change in doctrine," Akraminia said, iadding that the process remains in an evolutionary stage and will continue until Iran achieves what he described as complete deterrence against threats.

He said Iran's armed forces would continue developing new equipment, tactics and operational capabilities under the offensive approach in any future conflict.

Akraminia warned that any enemy "miscalculation" would trigger an immediate Iranian response and could expand a future conflict across the region, citing the Bab al-Mandab Strait and a US base in Syria as areas that became involved in the current war.

"Today, threats exist across the entire region, and we have the capabilities to confront and deal with them," he said.