FAS

Pentagon: Iran Seeks to “Force a Diplomatic Solution to Hostilities”

07.11.12 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

Iran continues to develop its military capabilities, including ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons-related technologies, and unconventional forces, according to a new Department of Defense report to Congress.

The Pentagon assessment was first reported yesterday in “Iran’s Ballistic Missiles Improving, Pentagon Finds” by Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg News.

The report itself appears to stress that while developing offensive capabilities, Iran’s military posture is essentially defensive in character.

“Iran’s military doctrine remains designed to slow an invasion; target its adversaries’ economic, political, and military interests; and force a diplomatic solution to hostilities while avoiding any concessions that challenge its core interests,” the report says.

Similarly, “Iran’s unconventional forces are trained according to its asymmetric warfare doctrine and would present a formidable force while defending Iranian territory.”

A copy of the new Pentagon Annual Report on Military Power of Iran, dated April 2012 but transmitted to Congress late last month, is available here.

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
day one project
Policy Memo
Reforming the Federal Advisory Committee Landscape for Improved Evidence-based Decision Making and Increasing Public Trust

Protecting the health and safety of the American public and ensuring that the public has the opportunity to participate in the federal decision-making process is crucial. As currently organized, FACs are not equipped to provide the best evidence-based advice.

02.18.25 | 11 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
A Federal Center of Excellence to Expand State and Local Government Capacity for AI Procurement and Use

As new waves of AI technologies continue to enter the public sector, touching a breadth of services critical to the welfare of the American people, this center of excellence will help maintain high standards for responsible public sector AI for decades to come.

02.14.25 | 9 min read
read more
Clean Energy
Press release
Position on the Reintroduction of the Critical Materials Future Act and the Unearth Innovation Act

The Federation of American Scientists supports the Critical Materials Future Act and the Unearth Innovation Act.

02.14.25 | 2 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Strengthening Information Integrity with Provenance for AI-Generated Text Using ‘Fuzzy Provenance’ Solutions

By creating a reliable, user-friendly framework for surfacing provenance, NIST would empower readers to better discern the trustworthiness of the text they encounter, thereby helping to counteract the risks posed by deceptive AI-generated content.

02.13.25 | 7 min read
read more