Interview with Brigadier General Dr. Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam on the First Strategic Exercise Simulating Biological Incidents

Major General Dr. Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam, the Head of the National Defense University, during an interview on the sidelines of the first strategic exercise simulating an unknown pandemic held on Saturday, May 20, 1404, stated: "Strategic games are very common worldwide, especially in advanced countries. Incidents in today's world have increased significantly due to the rapid pace of technology, population density, and high mobility between communities. The speed of developments has become very rapid and surprising, which can impact countries."

The Head of the Supreme National Defense University mentioned various methods to prevent surprises, including scenario planning, simulations, and strategic games, alongside national-level monitoring. These approaches aim to develop solutions for potential future scenarios over the next 5 to 10 years.

Major General Ahmadi Moghaddam continued, "Through scenario planning, we place ourselves in practical situations. If there is an aggressor that could pose a threat, such as a pandemic or a collective or national threat, then the state agencies must determine the appropriate response. This will involve the use of big data, artificial intelligence, and machine tools as decision-support systems."

The Head of the University stated that efforts are being made to place officials within a 10-year outlook. This way, when they observe an incident or event, they can use reverse engineering to trace back to the present. He emphasized, "It is crucial to determine what actions we need to take today to avoid being caught off guard on that day."

He further compared the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic to those of the defense war, stating: "The COVID-epidemic caused economic, human, and psychological losses. In this regard, the first strategic exercise initiated in the country focused on biological threats and responding to a pandemic."

Dr. Ahmadi Moghaddam remarked that today's understanding is that such an event is likely to occur. He stated, "We have the experience of the COVID-19 era, and we must evaluate our past based on these lessons. Using these experiences, we can build a bridge to the future, enabling us to navigate similar incidents with significantly fewer losses than before."

The Head of the SNDU, in response to the reason for choosing strategic simulation for the first pandemic exercise, stated: "At the Supreme National Defense University, several strategic games have been designed simultaneously in the areas of military strategy, economics, and cognitive warfare. However, this team was more prepared and reached the implementation stage sooner, which is why it was selected for this exercise. This does not necessarily imply that this topic is of greater importance."