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 framework allows for preemptive strikes with faster response times, essentially shortening the decision loop between threat identification and military action.

What makes this shift particularly notable is which branch of Iran’s military is driving it. The Artesh, Iran’s regular army, has historically played second fiddle to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has long dominated Iran’s asymmetric warfare and proxy operations across the region. The Artesh publicly embracing preemptive doctrine signals that the entire Iranian military apparatus, not just the ideological vanguard, is now oriented toward offensive action.

Operation Saeqeh and the new playbook

Strikes have targeted US bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE, spanning a wide arc across the Persian Gulf and Levant. Each phase appears designed to demonstrate reach and precision, signaling to Washington and its regional partners that Iran can project force across multiple theaters simultaneously.

Iranian officials have also stressed full operational readiness regarding developments in Lebanon. Senior commanders have emphasized a cohesive strategic posture between the Artesh and the IRGC, which historically operated with considerable independence from one another.

The framing from Tehran remains careful. Officials consistently describe preemptive operations as “necessary defenses” and “deterrent measures,” arguing that striking first is sometimes the best way to prevent a larger conflict.

Regional implications and market risks

Iran sits at the geographic chokepoint of global oil trade, with the Strait of Hormuz handling roughly a fifth of the world’s petroleum consumption. The direct targeting of US military installations across multiple Gulf states raises the stakes considerably. Countries like Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE host major American bases that serve as logistics hubs for the entire Central Command theater.

Analysts observe that while Iran’s stated goal is to raise the threshold of deterrence, preemptive doctrines are inherently destabilizing because they create incentives to strike first on both sides. If Iran believes it should hit before being hit, its adversaries face pressure to do the same, creating what strategists call a “security spiral.”