Iran's Military Adopts Preemptive Doctrine in Shift from Defensive-Only Approach
The Iranian military has adopted a new doctrine that authorizes preemptive strikes, shifting away from its decades-old defensive-only approach. The change was announced by Brig. Gen. Ahmadreza Pourdastan on June 23, who described the new framework as emphasizing strategic readiness beyond Iran's borders.
According to Iranian officials, this shift in doctrine is a response to recent conflicts with the US and Israel, which served as real-world laboratories for Iran's evolving capabilities. The Artesh, Iran's regular army, has historically played second fiddle to the IRGC, but the Artesh' embrace of preemptive doctrine signals that the entire Iranian military apparatus is now oriented toward offensive action.
The new doctrine is being tested in Operation Saeqeh, a series of drone and missile strikes targeting US military facilities across the Gulf region. Each phase has demonstrated reach and precision, signaling to Washington and its regional partners that Iran can project force across multiple theaters simultaneously.