IRGC Marks Sacred Defense Week, Says Forces Ready to Respond to Any Attack

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement on Tuesday marking Sacred Defense Week, which commemorates the eight-year war imposed by Iraq's Ba'ath regime against Iran from 1980 to 1988. The IRGC described the conflict as more than a military confrontation, characterizing it as a period that strengthened social capital, national cohesion and strategic self-confidence. According to the statement, the experience demonstrated that genuine power rests on faith, unity and the bond between leadership and the people.

The IRGC said these lessons have since developed into a multilayered defense structure extending beyond Iran's geographical borders into the cognitive, cyber, economic and strategic domains. It stated that Iran's Armed Forces have achieved a level of deterrent power based on domestic expertise, strategic innovation and defense self-reliance, enabling them to neutralize threats at their source. The statement pointed to the "historic" operations of True Promise during the second and third US-Israeli imposed wars as manifestations of this capability, saying they demonstrated Iran's defensive strength and altered regional security arrangements.

The statement also described developments over the past year as contributing to the emergence of a new regional order. It said Iran's strategic management of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the limitations of hegemonic powers. The IRGC added that adversaries have shifted toward hybrid, cognitive, economic and media warfare after failing to achieve their objectives through military means, but maintained that national unity and domestic capabilities would enable Iran to thwart such efforts.

The IRGC reaffirmed its readiness to defend Iran and respond to any aggression, saying its forces remain fully prepared and "with their fingers on the trigger" to deliver a decisive response to threats. The statement was issued as part of Sacred Defense Week commemorations, which annually honor the legacy of the 1980-1988 conflict. According to Mehr News, the IRGC emphasized that Iran's defense posture is rooted in self-reliance and strategic innovation, and that its forces are prepared to counter any hostile action.