Description
Iran's actions have the inherent capacity to impact security both in the Middle East and globally. Therefore, understanding the theory and the practice of Iran's military strategy, in all its facets, is critical. Existing research suggests that any such effort should also include understanding the role of Tehran's offensive cyber operations (OCO). Arguments about the growing importance of OCOs within Iran's military strategy are also supported by the empirical evidence; which points to a marked increase in Iran's reliance on cyber operations over the past decade.
While the literature has engaged with the topic of Iran's military strategy, and several analyses have shed light on aspects of the Iran's cyber capabilities, the relationship between Iran's OCOs and Iran's military strategy remains understudied. To address this gap in the literature, this paper sets out to investigate how OCOs fit within Iran's military strategy. Or, put differently, to what extent does the use of cyber operations reflect Iranian military strategic thinking? In so doing, this project aims to enhance our understanding of Iran's military strategy, its use of OCOs, and the relationship between the two.
This paper begins with a description of the Iran's military strategy and discusses its distinctive features: asymmetric nature, strategic depth, war aversion, crisis extension ability. Then, it analyzes several Iranian OCOs. Finally, it assesses what the empirical evidence from such operations says about the extent to which the use of OCOs reflects Iranian military strategic thinking.
