A senior Iranian military officer has expressed concern over the ideological influence of Iran's enemies and the risk of losing out in a technological race for armaments, in a potential sign of greater official unease following regional setbacks.
"The enemies aim to dominate a nation and its land by taking control of minds; we must protect minds, because if they gain control over them, other efforts will be ineffective," Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in a speech on Monday.
Since nationwide protests in December 2017, there have been increasing signs that many younger Iranians in particular question the Islamic tenets of the governing establishment and oppose regional adventures in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
"Ignoring new threats and technologies will undoubtedly lead to strategic surprises for us," Sayyari added. "It is also essential to pay attention to disruptive concepts in warfare."
Israel’s edge in military tactics and weapons have inflicted serious losses on Iran’s main military proxy, the Lebanese Hezbollah in recent months, and have seriously weakened Hamas, its other ally in the region. The fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was the latest serious blow to Tehran’s regional influence.
Israel launched a large-scale air attack against Iran in October, devastating its air defenses and several military installations without encountering any serious defense or retaliation.
These led to more expressions of doubt about the Islamic Republic’s foreign and military policy, which openly declares enmity with Israel.
Even many politicians and commentators linked to the governing establishment in Iran have in recent month called for a review of these policies and a serious attempt to improve relations with the West.
Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, referred to the developments in Syria as a bitter lesson on Sunday and said that it stands alongside the lessons learned from the Iran-Iraq War.
Sayyari emphasized the importance of social awareness in confronting enemies and referred to inspiring the politically agnostic within society - a group he referred to as the gray spectrum.
"The best way to counter cognitive warfare is to raise awareness among the gray spectrum and increase public vigilance," the admiral said. "The gray spectrum is influential everywhere, and their intelligence and level of awareness must be enhanced for us to effectively prevent this type of warfare."