Iran’s army shifts military doctrine to preemptive operations

Iran’s military has formally abandoned its decades-old defensive-only doctrine, replacing it with what officials describe as an “offensive-defensive” approach that explicitly authorizes preemptive strikes. The shift, telegraphed by senior generals over the summer, represents one of the most significant changes in Iranian military strategy since the Iran-Iraq War. The doctrinal overhaul comes as Iran continues to execute its multi-phase “Operation Saeqeh” campaign, a series of drone and missile strikes targeting US military facilities across the Gulf region. That campaign has now exceeded 30 phases, with the 31st phase launched around September 3 targeting American assets in Kuwait and the UAE. From defense to offense On June 23, Brig. Gen. Ahmadreza Pourdastan announced the formal pivot, describing a doctrine that emphasizes strategic readiness extending well beyond Iran’s borders. By August 22, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia went further. He confirmed that the doctrinal evolution happened during what Iranian officials refer to as the “12-day and 40-day wars,” recent conflicts with the US and Israel that served as real-world laboratories for Iran’s evolving capabilities. The new fra...