Tehran has implemented a decentralized war doctrine that grants field commanders pre-authorization to launch strikes without central approval. The “dead hand” or “Mosaic Defense” strategy distributes control across 31 autonomous provincial commands to ensure retaliatory attacks occur even if the nation’s central leadership is eliminated. Commanders now possess lists of US economic and political targets as Washington ordered the evacuation of its embassy staff from the Gulf and the IRGC struck seven vessels in a single night.
General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Drop Site News that future targets could include AI facilities, data centers, and undersea communications cables. A senior security official told Al-Mayadeen that Iran will no longer distinguish between the US and Israel in any military escalation. While Iranian leadership has reportedly gone into hiding due to an imminent threat of attack, the White House told Jeremy Scahill that no such strikes will occur before the midterm elections.
