From Missiles to Minds: Iran’s Influence-Driven War StrategyDownload Abstract This paper analyzes Iran’s operational strategy during the current conflict, arguing that Tehran…AbstractThis paper analyzes Iran’s operational strategy during the current conflict, arguing that Tehran has adopted an influence-centric approach in which cognitive effects are prioritized over conventional military outcomes. The paper concludes that Iran’s strategy represents a significant evolution in contemporary conflict, where influence operations function as the central mechanism for achieving strategic objectives. The most prominent example of this has been Iran’s operations in Lebanon and the establishment and continuing support for the hybrid-terror organization Hezbollah. Ultimately, its external influence operations appear to be attempting to induce some action, while its internal influence operations appear to attempt to induce inaction in order to maintain internal stability. Iran’s Influence Strategy & Its ImplicationsAs highlighted multiple times in this assessment, influence operations are becoming an increasingly central tool in modern conflicts, reshaping the balance between kinetic and non-kinetic operations.

Source: The Guardian April 09, 2026 12:40 UTC