Iran is moving to a more aggressive military posture, with its army saying the country’s doctrine is shifting from defence to offence and could include pre-emptive strikes against perceived threats. The warning comes as US President Donald Trump steps up pressure on Tehran, threatening unprecedented sanctions and suggesting that Washington retains broad military options in the region.
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Iranian Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said the change had emerged from lessons learned during what he described as the country’s recent 12-day and 40-day wars. He said Iran had gradually moved away from a purely defensive strategy and was now preparing to respond to attacks with broader and faster retaliation.
Iran signals readiness for pre-emptive action
“Our country’s military doctrine was defensive in the past, but gradually during these two wars, we witnessed the military doctrine moving from a defensive posture toward an offensive one,” Akraminia told state news agency IRNA.
He stressed that an offensive doctrine did not automatically mean Iran would launch pre-emptive attacks. However, he cited an Iranian strike on a US base in Jordan as an example of a pre-emptive operation, claiming it caused serious damage to American equipment, facilities and personnel before the US formally entered the conflict.
Akraminia also warned that any future attack on Iran would trigger an immediate response that could be broader than the original strike. He said the military had used the current pause in fighting to repair systems damaged during the conflict, introduce new equipment and revise training based on battlefield experience.
Iran’s military command structure has also been reshaped. Akraminia confirmed that the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters had been merged with the Armed Forces General Staff, a move aimed at creating a more unified chain of command, speeding up decisions and enabling faster responses under what he called current wartime conditions.
He added that Tehran views the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic geopolitical tool that could be used to advance the country’s foreign-policy objectives.
Trump raises pressure as Tehran vows retaliation
The tougher military posture comes as Trump escalates his warnings against Iran. Speaking on Friday, he said Tehran was not ready to make the “right deal” and claimed the US had “total control” of the region around the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s administration is also preparing a new round of financial penalties. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would announce what he described as the toughest sanctions in history, warning that the campaign was intended to severely pressure the Iranian regime.
Iranian Armed Forces chief of staff Major General Ali Abdollahi responded with a warning of a “crushing, punishing and devastating” response to any new US threats, saying Iranian forces were prepared across land, sea, air, air defence and cyberspace.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, claimed the world had accepted Iran’s victory in the war and argued that the conflict should now end.
