Iran's military doctrine could shift from a primarily defensive posture towards a more proactive and potentially offensive approach, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official has said, warning the country's adversaries to expect "strategic surprises".
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IRGC Political Deputy Brigadier General Yadollah Javani told Iranian state media that Iran's military actions so far had been defensive because the country was responding to attacks initiated by its adversaries. However, he said Tehran's response could assume an offensive character in the future.
"The enemy has been the initiator of the war, and Iran's actions are defensive, but they may take on an offensive aspect in the future," Javani said, according to Iranian media reports.
Javani said Iran's armed forces would adopt what he described as "transformative approaches" and take necessary measures at the appropriate time to defend the country and neutralise threats.
The comments point to a possible change in how Tehran defines deterrence, with defensive operations potentially involving proactive action against threats before they can directly target Iran.
Javani also referred to the mandate given to Iran's new commander-in-chief, Major-General Ahmad Vahidi, saying the military leadership had placed emphasis on achieving "maximum deterrence".
Under this approach, defensive action could take on an offensive character by seeking to neutralise threats proactively, Al Jazeera reported.
"The enemy should know that it cannot catch us off-guard," Javani said, adding that Iran's adversaries would instead have to "anticipate strategic surprises".
"Whatever is necessary to defend this land, ensure security, and neutralise enemy threats will be executed at the appropriate time," he said.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel following the recent conflict. Tehran has maintained that its military actions were responses to attacks, while US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iranian military infrastructure was destroyed during the conflict.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf has meanwhile described the conflict as an "unjust war" led by the United States and Israel and claimed that Tehran emerged victorious both militarily and politically.
"I can say with complete conviction that we truly emerged victorious in this war, both militarily and politically," Ghalibaf said, according to Iran's Press TV.
Ghalibaf also described a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States as a diplomatic achievement, saying it would help consolidate what Tehran considers its gains from the conflict.
Javani's comments, however, represent a significant warning that Iran could seek to move beyond a purely retaliatory military posture. While the remarks do not by themselves establish a formal change in Iran's military doctrine, they indicate that senior IRGC leadership is openly considering a more proactive approach to deterrence and threat neutralisation.
