TEHRAN – In recent weeks, Iran’s military planners have offered new clues about how the country is preparing for a potential regional confrontation involving the U.S. and its proxies. While Tehran continues to describe its overarching doctrine as defensive, officials and analysts close to the security establishment emphasize that this strategy is not limited to passive deterrence. Instead, it incorporates a range of offensive and pre-emptive measures designed to impose costs on any adversary from the outset of a conflict.
The premise is straightforward: pressure will be met with pressure, and escalation answered in kind.
What distinguishes the current planning from earlier confrontations—most notably the 12day war—is its geographic scope. Iranian officials suggest that future operations would not be confined to longrange targets deep inside occupied territories, some 1,200 to 1,600 kilometers from Iran’s borders. Rather, significantly closer targets would also fall within operational reach.
At the center of this approach is a broad military and security architecture in which each branch of Iran’s armed forces is assigned a defined role. The objective, according to analysts, is to safeguard Iran’s territorial integrity across land, air, and sea in the event of a wider regional war.
Unlike previous scenarios that relied heavily on missile forces and air defense systems, the current framework places renewed emphasis on ground forces. Both the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Army (Artesh) are seen as critical pillars of this strategy. Their units are structured to operate independently, understanding orders and carrying out missions within their designated zones without awaiting real-time direction from central command.
A central priority for these forces is the protection of Iran’s borders, particularly in the south, southeast, and west. These regions were among those targeted during the unrest of last December, when armed groups—backed by American and Israeli supporters—sought to exploit instability. Those efforts were ultimately thwarted through coordinated action by Iran’s security and military institutions.
Under current plans, Iran’s ground forces are tasked with establishing what officials describe as a secure physical barrier along the frontier—designed to block any attempt at infiltration, whether by proxy groups or foreign forces themselves. Iranian commanders have made clear that this posture is not necessarily confined to activity within Iran’s borders.
Indeed, officials argue that any action threatening Iran’s border security will be met decisively, even if it falls short of an overt territorial violation.
Military planners also stress that today’s preparations differ markedly from the past. The focus is no longer limited to traditional, inwardlooking defense. In line with Iran’s concept of “offensive defense,” ground forces are also preparing for proactive operations beyond the country’s borders—details of which, they suggest, would become apparent only in the event of open conflict.
According to officials familiar with these plans, the necessary directives have already been issued. Units are positioned, trained, and operating at full readiness. Along Iran’s frontiers, soldiers remain on high alert, prepared to respond immediately to any perceived threat to the country’s sovereignty.
It is within this context that the recent IRGC Ground Forces exercise in southern Iran should be understood. The drill, which extended to several islands in the Persian Gulf, was not merely symbolic. It represented a practical rehearsal of operational plans on real terrain, moving beyond theoretical preparation.
For Iranian commanders, the exercise served multiple purposes: a test of readiness against any potential aggressor or foreign proxy, a demonstration of Iran’s ability to erect a durable defensive shield on the ground, and a signal that the country is prepared to carry out offensive operations from its own territory if required.
Above all, the drill was intended to convey a single message—that Iran is determined to defend its territorial unity and security, and that it is prepared to do so with force if necessary.
This piece was first published by the online newspaper Sedaye Iran.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
