Iran Develops New Tactic Against US, Dubbed Lethal Strategy-Tactical Aggression
Iran’s right-wing leadership is now formulating and promoting a new strategy against the United States, involving ‘offensive operations for sustained confrontation’ with Washington. The strategy, described as ‘lethal’, is being designed just as US President Donald Trump is claimed to still be seeking a way out of the war he started six months ago. Tehran’s aggressive posture comes as the Memorandum of Understanding to end the war between the US and Iran expires this week, while control over the Strait of Hormuz remains a hotly contested issue.
In detail, the strategy begins with a series of decrees issued last week in the name of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The decrees drastically overhaul the security structure, including approving Ahmad Vahidi as head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with a primary mandate to ‘prepare strong offensive operations against the enemy’.
Khamenei’s adviser, Mohammad Mokhber, voiced the threat of the new strategy. ‘The strategy of shifting the war to an offensive posture if Iran’s conditions are not met will inevitably change the balance of power in the world,’ he asserted. The same was said by Iran’s new head of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaie. He believes that ‘the only way to obtain concessions from the US is to continue fighting and inflict constant suffering on Trump’.
IRGC Deputy Political Brigadier General Yadollah Javani also opened the possibility of ‘tactical aggression’. Tactical aggression is a limited and measured attack to achieve specific military objectives, rather than a large-scale assault or total war. Nevertheless, he stressed that Iran would essentially only take defensive action first. ‘Iran’s actions are defensive, although they may also take on an offensive aspect in the future,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Tehran is highly confident of its military superiority to seize control of space, geography, and the timing of warfare from the US. This was stated by Royal United Services Institute analyst H.A. Hellyer. He said this has enabled the Iranian regime to successfully withstand assaults from the US, Israel, and the Gulf states. ‘They have not yet formalised control over the Strait of Hormuz, and while they are not in a hurry, they want to press their advantage,’ he explained.
The new offensive doctrine is strongly supported by drone innovation and manoeuvring ballistic missiles with cluster warheads. Iran is also actively threatening through asymmetric warfare, ranging from sabotage of undersea cables in the Gulf to unexpected attacks on tankers belonging to the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company (ADNOC) in order to keep oil prices high.
On the other hand, Iran continues to mobilise its proxy allies, with Houthi militias in Yemen and militias in Iraq increasingly aggressive in targeting Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure. Saudi Arabia is believed to be on the verge of being surrounded from three sides simultaneously as the Houthis and Iraqi groups share intelligence and combat advice thanks to Tehran’s investment.
Iran will not relinquish its proxy influence in the region, even as some have been weakened by Israel or have lost their footing due to regime change in Syria. This is evidenced by the secret visit of Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani to Baghdad just as the new Iraqi government, under US pressure, attempts to disarm pro-Iranian militias.