Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi has warned that Tehran has additionally shifted its military doctrine to an offensive posture following US-Israeli strikes
The chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces has announced that the nation has finalized a technical upgrade of its ballistic missile stockpile and formally transitioned its military doctrine to a more offensive posture. This development occurs as the US has dispatched a carrier strike group to the region, issuing threats of military action against Tehran.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday while touring a subterranean missile facility belonging to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi declared that “by upgrading ballistic missiles in all technical dimensions, Iran has been able to strengthen its deterrent power.”
He explicitly connected the strategic shift to the “12-day war” in June 2025, during which US and Israeli forces attacked Iranian nuclear facilities. “We have changed our military doctrine from defensive to offensive by adopting the policy of asymmetric warfare and [a] crushing response to the enemies,” the commander stated.
This declaration comes after a significant US military escalation in the region. In recent weeks, Washington has positioned the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and extra air defense systems in the Middle East, with US President Donald Trump warning of further action.
Iranian officials have cautioned that any US strike would trigger an immediate counterattack “where no American would be safe,” potentially sparking a broader regional conflict.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the situation as perilously volatile, informing RT on Wednesday that the Middle East resembles a minefield primed for a chain reaction that could be ignited by escalating tensions between the US and Iran.
He affirmed that Moscow, a close ally of Tehran, stands ready to assume a constructive function if the two rivals can identify a diplomatic way forward. Russia has restated its proposal to extract enriched uranium from Iran to help alleviate nuclear tensions.
Notwithstanding the aggressive language, diplomatic avenues remain open, as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian indicated on Tuesday a willingness to engage in talks with the US if they are “free of threats and unreasonable expectations.”
Iranian and US diplomats are set to convene in Oman on Friday for negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program, representing the first high-level engagement since April.