Iran10 September, 20263 min read
Greater Tehran IRGC Chief Hassan Hassanzadeh Says Iran’s Special Units Are Ready For Rapid Deployment
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IRGC says special operations units are ready for rapid deployment anywhere in Iran. Defensive era ends; Iran moves toward offensive operations, described as a turning point.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Iran Reviews US Negotiation Proposals As Pakistan And Qatar Mediate Strait Of Hormuz Dispute →
IRGC chief signals shift
Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the Greater Tehran Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said Iran has moved beyond what he called the “merely defensive” era and that special operations units are “fully prepared for rapid deployment anywhere in Iran.” Speaking during an exercise involving special operations teams of Tehran’s Hazrat Mohammad Rasulullah Corps, Hassanzadeh said, “We have passed the stage of defensive and air-defence confrontation, and today we are on the threshold of offensive operations.” He framed the shift as a turning point by referring to the “12-day war,” saying the same enemies who predicted the collapse of the Islamic Republic within days were now facing Iran’s armed forces in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
Hassanzadeh said Iran has reached a point of strength in missile, drone and naval technology that enabled it to thwart the enemy’s objectives, and he added that offensive teams, units and divisions were being organised for special and rapid operations. He also referred to the planned 313,000-person “Iran’s Sacrifice” exercise, saying it would demonstrate the Iranian people’s readiness and determination to confront the “treacherous enemy.”
Narratives and readiness
Mehr News Agency quoted Hassanzadeh saying victory depended not only on military equipment and technology, but also on “Firm faith, heartfelt belief in divine victory, and following the school of martyrs such as Hemmat, Motevasselian, Tangsiri, Bagheri, Mehrabi, Hajizadeh, Pakpour and Salami.” In the same remarks, Hassanzadeh announced the organisation of offensive teams, units and divisions for special and lightning operations, adding, “Today we are ready to be present at any point in the country with high speed and to destroy the enemy in any situation.”
Fars News Agency carried a separate press briefing by Azim Ibrahimpour, commander of the Basij Jihad Tajdid (Jahad Tabein) national headquarters, who said the “camp of domination” advances its aims with “three components—wealth, military power, and media.” Ibrahimpour described the “war of narratives and managing public opinion” as part of the conflict, and he urged journalists and media actors to “distinguish accurate news from rumors.”
Exercise date and regional context
Hassanzadeh said the massive “Janfada-ye Iran” exercise would involve 313,000 participants and that registration at mosques, squares, offices and neighbourhoods had been unprecedented. He added that on 27 Shahrivar (September 18), the world would witness the organised and powerful presence of the Iranian people, who through resistance, steadfastness and resilience had brought the enemy to its knees. In the same set of remarks, Hassanzadeh said the Americans, “criminal Trump” and “cursed Netanyahu” could not answer their own publics and elites, and he argued, “They wanted to seize the Strait of Hormuz, but today it is the will of the Iranian nation that manages this vital energy artery.”
Elsewhere in the region, Major General Mokhtar Al-Rabash Al-Heithami, governor of Aden Governorate and commander of its military axis, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Aden’s forces are “ready for the zero hour and the start of the attack on the Houthis.” He said the common objective of the military leadership is to “liberate Sanaa and Yemen from the Houthi militias and end the Iranian project,” while also describing coordination with the Saudi-led coalition, the Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni Ministry of Defense.