Iran reveals ‘offensive’ doctrine, US issues alert: Is war imminent?

US orders diplomatic staff out of Saudi Arabia amid escalating conflict and reports of potential US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Save Share Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saysrenewed attacksby the United States could prompt Tehran to invade neighbouring countries and hit bases used in US military operations as part of its new “offensive” strategy. The warning on Wednesday came amid escalating attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a global energy chokepoint, and uncertainty overdiplomatic effortsto end the nearly eight-month war. “Our defence doctrine was previously defensive; we used to say that if a country attacks us, we will respond. Now we say that if a country attacks us, we will both respond and launch an offensive,” IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said. Washington ordered some diplomatic personnel to leave Saudi Arabia amid attacks from Yemen’s Houthis while US President Donald Trump has signalled that a decision on the conflict could come soon. According to media reports, the US and Israel are planning potential attacks on Iran in the coming weeks. As negotiations seem stalled and both sides exchange threats, could the region be heading towards another military escalation? The IRGC on Wednesday announced a shift towards an “offensive and asymmetrical” defence doctrine, threatening to invade countries that launch attacks against it. Mohebi said Tehran would no longer limit its military operations to retaliatory strikes. Mohebi stressed that Iran’s missile stockpile has increased 1.5 times since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025. He did not provide specific figures. “The quality of the missiles has improved significantly, and their range, destructive power and accuracy in hitting targets have increased,” the spokesman said. Moreover, Mohebi said Iranian forces were in the “stage of preparing to unveil the ‘father of all bombs’. This is something new for the enemy.” Meanwhile, attacks in the Strait of Hormuz continued unabated. The IRGC’s navy said on Thursday that four vessels it accused of being involved in illegal oil transfers were struck and caught fire in the northern Gulf. Three other vessels hit mines west of the strait, it added. Before the war, one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz....