Iran Army Spokesman Says Forces Ready for Preemptive Strikes If Threatened

Brigadier General Amir Akraminia, spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, said in an interview with an al-Alam correspondent that Iran's armed forces have used the ceasefire period to update their target bank, optimise equipment, bring new equipment into their combat organisation, and incorporate the reserves, experiences and lessons of the war period. He was responding to questions about US movements in the region and the possibility of war.

Akraminia said that while the Americans are active in the region, it is unclear whether a war will actually break out. He stated that the United States is not in a good position in the region because its bases have suffered serious damage, citing aerial and satellite imagery and field observations. According to him, most of these bases can no longer be rebuilt, causing serious problems for US military logistics and support. He added that fuel and food supply for US forces now face problems, especially after the Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain suffered serious damage, forcing supplies to be prepared from outside the region, including East Asia and Diego Garcia. On morale, he said some US soldiers have committed suicide and that US forces are not in a good psychological state. He concluded that the current situation for America is not favourable, and that the US may want to create a change, possibly through an act of aggression, but has no clear strategy.

Regarding Iran's military strategy after the 12-day war and the concept of preemptive war, Akraminia said the UN Charter prohibits the use of force except in legitimate self-defence. He stated that after the 12-day war, Iran advanced its strategy toward preemptive war, a direction seriously pursued by the martyred Brigadier General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, who advocated moving Iran's military doctrine from defence to offense. Akraminia said this strategy was operationalised in the war when Iran targeted positions of anti-revolutionary and separatist groups in Iraq's Kurdistan region. He noted that, as the US president had announced, large quantities of weapons were provided to separatists and anti-Iran groups so that, in parallel with the American attack, Iran's land borders in the west would also be attacked. He described this as a kind of preemptive war, where the enemy was targeted before it could commit aggression, and said that until today the anti-revolutionaries have not been able to carry out any operation against Iran's land borders.

According to Mehr News, the remarks were made in response to questions about US movements in the region and the possibility of war.