Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei told Iranian
state television Tehran is urging other countries, including neighbors, not to
join Trump’s “economic war,” warning any state that imposes economic
restrictions will be treated as an enemy and threatening “hellish” retaliation.
Hamidreza Aziz, an Iran researcher at the Clingendael Institute, said Iran
appears to be moving to earlier deterrence by signaling that preparations to
attack Iran could themselves trigger a response. Aziz identified two emerging
elements in the new doctrine: pre-emption to prevent perceived threats from
materialising and asymmetric retaliation to raise the cost of any attack. He
said Rezaei’s warning to Gulf states amounts to a de facto ultimatum and that
Iran’s military-security apparatus is stepping up preparations for a possible
new round of escalation.
