Iran warns enemies to 'anticipate strategic surprises' as it shifts from a defensive stance

Iran warns enemies to 'anticipate strategic surprises' as it shifts from a defensive stance Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 11:09 Meanwhile, Tehran blames pollution in Gulf waters on US wars and calls for Qatar to clarify the fate of three missing pilots A man holds an Iranian flag, next to a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, on 13 August 2026 (Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters) Off Iran has warned its adversaries to "anticipate strategic surprises" as a senior military official said the country was set to shift from a defensive stance to an offensive one. Yadollah Javani, the head of the political bureau of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state media on Monday morning that "The enemy should know that it cannot catch us off-guard. ” “Instead, it is the enemy that must anticipate strategic surprises,” he added.