Iran signals more offensive posture as ceasefire understanding expires

Iran has signalled a shift towards a more offensive military posture as a June ceasefire Memorandum of Understanding expires, with officials warning of possible "strategic surprises" amid renewed tensions with the United States over the Strait of Hormuz.

Al Jazeera reports that Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Iran's military response to the conflict had so far been defensive but could change.

"The enemy started the war and our efforts have been defensive, although they might take on an offensive aspect," Javani said. He added that opponents of Iran should expect "strategic surprises."

The shift follows comments by US President Donald Trump that the Strait of Hormuz could "pretty soon" be declared US territory. The White House later described the remark as a joke, but Iranian officials have treated it as a serious provocation.

Trump has also claimed Iran was defeated while facing a US naval blockade operating as a "wall of steel".

The conflict intensified after US and Israeli strikes on 28 February and has since reached a stalemate, with both sides maintaining sharply different accounts of the outcome.

Major General Ahmad Vahidi, commander-in-chief of the IRGC, said Iranian leaders and the armed forces had managed to "bring to its knees the most heavily-armed army in world history" following the strikes.

Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf gave a more qualified assessment, saying the outcome should be measured against the objectives declared by Washington and Israel.

"I don't mean that we destroyed their armies, I mean that they attacked us while clearly and repeatedly citing nine objectives, but did not achieve any of these goals at any level. That was the biggest abject failure for the US and the Zionist regime," Ghalibaf said.

New leadership and military preparations

The change in posture coincides with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei consolidating control over the security establishment and appointing IRGC hardliners to key positions.

Khamenei instructed the new IRGC leadership to combine "maximum deterrence" with readiness for "powerful offensive operations against the enemy."

Army chief Amir Hatami also warned that Iran's ability to strike its adversaries could expand.

"Our hands are open in terms of reaching the aggressors and they will become more open through our initiatives," Hatami said.

Iranian officials have identified US and regional allies' infrastructure, including energy networks, power plants and internet systems, as potential targets if Washington attacks Iranian civilian infrastructure.

Iran has also reinforced rapid-response units around the Strait of Hormuz and prepared plans to defend individual islands and strategic oil facilities, including Kharg Island, against a possible attempt to seize them.

Army spokesman Mohammad-Reza Akraminia said Iran would respond to any US attempt to seize its territory.

"If the Americans enter one of our islands, we will certainly target them on our own islands, let alone on other countries' soil," he said.

Iran prepares for possible ground operations

Iranian officials have increasingly addressed the possibility of US ground operations, while arguing that an invasion would be difficult to execute.

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaee said a large force would be needed for any attempt to land troops near the Strait of Hormuz.

"They had not calculated that to land troops for the Strait of Hormuz, it's not doable with 40,000-50,000 soldiers, you must bring at least 100,000 people," Rezaee said.

"You must cross the Zagros Mountains and be able to pass the Fars province."

Hatami has also announced a $30,000 reward for the capture or killing of any US soldier on Iranian soil, with the reward doubled for women who carry out such an action.

Hardline Iranian politicians have separately discussed possible ground incursions against US interests in Bahrain and Kuwait if Washington attempts an invasion of Iran.

Ceasefire framework collapses as talks continue

The June ceasefire MoU has effectively collapsed, although Iran continues to engage in negotiations mediated by Oman over the partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ghalibaf described the June agreement as a "document of pride and victory in the field of diplomacy".

The talks have been delayed by legal complexities and what Iranian officials describe as "ill-wishing parties".

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would not allow outside pressure to determine its decisions.

"It has been proven many times that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not a party to devise its policies under pressure, ultimatums and deadlines," Baghaei said.

"We decide based on our evaluations of what guarantees national interests and security."