Iran's Revolutionary Guards vow to change 'geography of war' if attacked

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Sunday warned that any new US military action would fundamentally alter Tehran's approach to the conflict, with the elite force promising to change both its weapons and the "geography of the war" while unveiling previously unidentified targets.

New capabilities unveiled

Speaking on state television, IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohibi said: "If a new attack takes place, our defense and offensive operations will change significantly. We will change the weapons and the geography of the war, and we will bring new capabilities with new capacities into the field. The world will be surprised," he told viewers during the evening broadcast.

Mohibi stated that Iranian forces had moved beyond previous targeting parameters, noting that "our targets are no longer the same targets as before. We have identified new targets that have not yet been attacked." He added that Tehran views the conflict as an ongoing multi-stage engagement, saying: "Iran is prepared for a long-term war, and from our perspective, war has different stages. War does not end, but continues. The IRGC was already prepared for war, and it is now even more prepared."

Diplomatic freeze

The spokesman noted that the IRGC had not communicated with American officials and that Iran's armed forces were not engaged in diplomatic channels, emphasizing that the military's primary mission remains national defense. Mohibi also claimed that US dominance in the region had ended and that Iran — rather than Washington — was now shaping the regional order.

Months of conflict

The remarks came amid heightened tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which roughly a fifth of global oil consumption flowed prior to the war. Washington and Tel Aviv launched large-scale attacks against Iran on February 28, targeting government buildings, military installations, missile infrastructure, and air defenses, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone strikes against Israel and US bases across the region.

A ceasefire paused hostilities in April, followed by a June memorandum calling for a final peace deal within 60 days — though the agreement collapsed weeks later. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar have continued efforts to revive negotiations between the parties.