Iran is reorganizing its military forces to make them more mobile and aggressive abroad amid conflict with the US and Israel. This indicates the country’s preparation for a prolonged confrontation, even if the current conflict ends.
Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who advises the new commander, said in an interview with state television late on August 11 that this week’s appointments to senior military positions indicate a shift to an “offensive doctrine.” “Whenever conditions are favorable and an order is given, we must be able to conduct operations on enemy territory,” he said. Naqdi contrasted this approach with the pre-war doctrine, which “was mainly based on defense and protection of the country.”
The statements by Mohammad Reza Naqdi were the most detailed official explanation of the strategy behind Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointments to key military positions. Khamenei appointed IRGC officers known for their hardline stance on war and the Strait of Hormuz. Among the appointments is the promotion of Mohsen Rezaei, a former IRGC commander and veteran of Iranian politics, to head the Supreme National Security Council. The appointments were announced along with an order to merge the military operational center, known as the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, with the General Staff, which coordinates overall military strategy. “This step will certainly accelerate the work and help implement the same offensive doctrine,” Naqdi said, citing the growing need for real-time battlefield data integration.
Role of IRGC and missile program
The war has further strengthened the influence of the IRGC, which controls a significant part of Iran’s economy and is the country’s most combat-ready military force. Mohammad Reza Naqdi stated that the production of ballistic missiles in Iran continues at a rapid pace and significantly exceeds the rate of their use, which, according to him, may indicate the availability of reserves sufficient for export to other countries. He did not provide details. “Even if the war lasts for years, we will strike the enemy with missiles until the very end,” he said. Naqdi added that Iran’s vast territory allows for hundreds of potential sites that can be and have been used for missile production.
New commander and the Strait of Hormuz
This week, Ahmad Vahidi officially became the commander of the IRGC. He was a staunch critic of the negotiations to end the war and advocates revenge for the death of the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the first wave of Israeli strikes at the end of February. Vahidi vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed “as long as the United States continues hostile actions.”
Source: The Straits Times
