Aref: Iran Adopts Asymmetric, Multi-Layered Defense Strategy

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref says Tehran has fundamentally changed its defense doctrine following recent US attacks, warning that future responses will be "asymmetric," "multi-layered," and designed to deprive aggressors of security.

In a post on X, Aref said the new approach would reshape Iran's response to US aggression, while warning Americans to prepare for severe economic disruptions. "Dark months await the American economy," he said, urging people to consider stockpiling fuel.

Aref's remarks followed US airstrikes on several Iranian provinces, including Hormozgan, Khuzestan, Sistan-Baluchestan, and Kerman.

In one of the attacks, a US missile struck a wedding celebration in Kouhestak village in Hormozgan, reportedly killing and wounding more than 70 people, most of them women and children.

He said the economic consequences of the conflict were already being felt in the United States, citing soaring gasoline prices and what he described as a growing diesel supply crisis affecting supply chains and agriculture.

The war has also pushed up energy prices in Europe, with Dutch front-month natural gas futures recently rising nearly 6% to €73.95 per megawatt-hour, their highest level since January 2023.