&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘They can’t catch us off-guard’: Iran’s IRGC warns US, Israel of ‘strategic surprises’. What’s coming?")
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 warned, saying the country's adversaries should expect "strategic surprises".
IRGC Political Deputy Brigadier General Yadollah Javani told Iranian state media that Iran's military actions so far had been defensive because Tehran was responding to attacks initiated by its adversaries. However, he said the nature of Iran's response could change 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 remarks suggest a possible shift in how Tehran defines deterrence, with defensive operations potentially involving proactive action to neutralise perceived threats before they can directly target Iran.
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Javani also referred to the mandate given to Iran's new commander-in-chief, Major-General Ahmad Vahidi, saying the military leadership had emphasised achieving "maximum deterrence".
Under such an 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 comments 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.
Javani's remarks do not spell out what specific military measures Iran could adopt, but they signal that Tehran may be considering a broader interpretation of deterrence as it reassesses its military strategy following the latest confrontation.
