Hossein Mohebbi, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has threatened that, in the event of a renewed attack on Iran, energy transmission lines, power plants, U.S. and non-U.S. systems, and internet-connected global infrastructure will be targeted.
Concurrently, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, advisor to the IRGC Commander-in-Chief, announced a shift in the organization’s doctrine from “defensive” to “offensive,” stating that the IRGC must prepare to conduct operations on foreign soil.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 11, at an event in Qom, Mohebbi stated that if threats against the Islamic Republic materialize, Iran’s response will not be limited to military targets alone. He asserted that energy transit lines, power grids, and internet-connected systems are all vulnerable, adding that the Islamic Republic will take retaliatory measures against any threat. The IRGC spokesperson further claimed that hundreds of thousands of miles of energy transmission lines, thousands of power plants, and all U.S. and non-U.S. systems could serve as targets. In another part of his remarks, Mohebbi claimed that no U.S. warships are currently present in the waters of the Persian Gulf.
These statements coincided with remarks by Mohammad Reza Naqdi regarding the shift in the IRGC’s military doctrine. Speaking on Iranian state television, Naqdi said the decision had been made to move from a “defensive” to an “offensive” doctrine, noting that recent appointments of senior IRGC commanders were made specifically to prepare for the implementation of this policy. He stated that the IRGC must be capable of executing “smart operations” inside foreign countries and, if ordered, bringing the war directly to “enemy” territory.
