The "First Strategic Exercise Simulating an Unknown Pandemic" was held at the initiative of the Supreme National Defense University in collaboration with the country's Civil Defense Organization.

According to the Center for Communications and International Relations of the National Defense University, the first strategic exercise simulating a biological incident in Iran, titled "Unknown Pandemic," was conducted on Saturday, May 11, 2025, at the Civil Defense Organization, initiated by the SNDU in collaboration and coordination with the organization.

In this strategic exercise, attended by representatives from all relevant governmental agencies, military and law enforcement forces, ministries, organizations, media, and research institutions, Brigadier General Dr. Gholamreza Jalali, Head of the Passive Defense Organization, began by discussing the history of biological threats in the world and in our country. He pointed out human negligence in the field of public health, attributing the loss of life from biological threats in the global community to this oversight.

In another part of his speech, he acknowledged the design and execution of the first strategic exercise simulating a biological incident by the SNDU and the Passive Defense Organization. He expressed his gratitude to Major General Dr. Ismail Ahmadi Moqaddam and his colleagues at the National Defense University for their efforts.

Dr. Ahmadi Moqaddam, Head of the University, also emphasized the importance of this exercise at a strategic level in the country, stating: "Our adaptation to events occurs rapidly, and this is a hallmark of our crisis management."

He added, "We must enhance our capabilities in all economic, logistical, and administrative dimensions, as this will lead to increased resilience." He continued, "To avoid being caught off guard in crises, foresight is essential."

Dr. Ahmadi Moqaddam also noted, "The use of artificial intelligence and big data in decision support is very useful and important. However, at a strategic level, it is still human decisions that make and implement practical and reactive choices."

He continued, "The University has been conducting strategic games for years, and the importance of these exercises lies in their role as a form of foresight. They essentially involve standing in the future and engaging in reverse engineering."

The Head of the National Defense University stated, "You are positioned in the future and within a crisis; you must consider what actions should have been taken 2 or 5 years ago to minimize the negative impact of this crisis."