Iran's way of warfare is being tested to its limits

Iran's way of warfare is being tested to its limits Submitted by Omar Ashour on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 19:14 Hybrid defence strategy has helped Tehran withstand weeks of bombardment, but it has also revealed the country's primary weaknesses This video grab taken from the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB on 26 March 2026 shows what it says is part of a wave of missiles launched against Israel and US bases in the Gulf (IRIB TV/AFP) Off “We will not initiate war, but we possess overwhelming power to confront any aggression,” Iranian military commander Hossein Salami declared a year ago, just months before he was killed in an Israeli air strike. Iran’s way of warfare is best understood as a layered system of forward defence, rather than as conventional territorial defence. Tehran has sought to keep the decisive fights away from its core through a combination of allied non-state partners abroad, long-range missiles and one-way attack drones, dual military institutions at home, and the shadow - rather than the possession - of a possible nuclear deterrent.