Tehran: Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff has issued a nationwide passive defence directive setting out preparations for three possible scenarios: continued full-scale war, a ceasefire without a definitive end to hostilities, and the conclusion of the conflict.
Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and chairman of the Permanent Passive Defense Committee, issued the 10-article directive for Iran’s 2026 Passive Defense Commemoration programmes, Fars News Agency reported on Tuesday.
Under the full-scale war scenario, large gatherings and other in-person events would be suspended. Instead, authorities would concentrate on operational readiness, maintaining essential services, managing resources, assisting the public and strengthening coordination between relevant agencies.
If a ceasefire is reached without formally ending the conflict, the directive calls for continued public preparedness, vigilance against hybrid warfare and greater attention to information security.
Under the post-war scenario, planned exercises, training programmes and public activities would proceed in full.
The directive also instructs authorities to revise operational plans in light of lessons from what Iran describes as its “second and third imposed wars.”
Iran has issued 10-article directives for previous annual Passive Defense Commemoration programmes, including in 2024 and 2025, with an emphasis on protecting critical infrastructure and improving public preparedness. The latest instructions differ by explicitly preparing authorities for three potential stages of the current conflict.
The directive comes amid the continuing war involving Iran and the United States. The US and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran on February 28, striking government buildings, military facilities, missile infrastructure and air defences. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and US bases across the region.
Hostilities have since spread across the region, while parallel diplomatic efforts have sought to bring the conflict to an end.
Before the current war, Iran and Israel fought a separate 12-day conflict in June 2025 that concluded with a US-sponsored ceasefire.