Amid ongoing threats from Islamic Republic military and security officials regarding potential conflict with the United States and Israel, Hossein Mohebbi, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced a shift in Iran’s military doctrine toward offensive action alongside retaliatory strikes. Simultaneously, a senior Iranian security official declared the country’s readiness for a full-scale, multi-layered war.
Speaking to the Student News Network (SNN) on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Mohebbi stated that the Islamic Republic’s military doctrine, which previously focused on responding to enemy aggression, now incorporates counter-offensive strikes.
“Our defense doctrine was previously defensive; we used to say that if a country attacks us, we will respond. Now we say that if a country attacks us, we will both respond and launch an offensive,” Mohebbi said.
The IRGC spokesperson also referenced the Islamic Republic’s move toward asymmetric warfare, explaining that the objective is to establish “permanent and absolute deterrence” against military threats. He added that the Islamic Republic would strike the enemy in a manner that ensures the full force of its actions is felt.
Meanwhile, an unnamed senior Iranian security official told Press TV, the state broadcaster’s English-language network, that Iran has prepared itself for a full-scale, multi-layered, and comprehensive war amid rising regional tensions.
The security official stated that the Islamic Republic has reached a definitive decision to respond to any aggression, killings, or assassinations “without any restrictions or reservations.”
The official further claimed that Iran’s armed forces are fully prepared to target interests and assets within reach of potential aggressors and their regional supporters.
These statements come as Iranian officials repeatedly emphasize the readiness of the armed forces to defend the country and counter potential strikes, coinciding with heightened warnings from the US and Israel in recent days.
