Iran is overwhelmingly portrayed by the collective West as an existential threat to the survival of Israel and, to a lesser extent, to U.S. national security interests. The issue with this narrative lies in how the Iranian government is depicted. On one hand, it’s presented as weak and constantly on the brink of collapse. On the other, it’s seen as powerful enough to control an “axis of terror” capable of destroying Israel and U.S. military and economic interests in the region.
This inherent contradiction has persisted since the 1979 revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
This faulty logic of imminent collapse has been employed by U.S. policymakers for decades. The belief is that “one more sanction or one more protest within the country will make the whole project unravel.” Yet, at the same time, Iran is presented as an all-powerful force, acting as a puppet master within the Middle East.
Why is this paradox maintained? Simply put, it serves to justify U.S. policy positions.
In reality, Iran is a heavily sanctioned state with limited economic power to retaliate against Western economic warfare. It is also not a force-on-force military peer to the United States. Since the 2020 assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, Iran has largely practiced restraint, focusing on building defensive alliances with ideologically aligned groups within the region and pursuing de-escalation with an increasingly belligerent U.S.
The main narrative promoted by mainstream media and politicians from both sides of the political spectrum isn’t intended to inform the public about Iran or how its government poses a national security threat to the United States. Instead, it aims to justify policies that align with Western imperialist interests in the region.
Whether through sanctions designed to provoke an uprising against Iran’s “tyrannical” government or direct military intervention against its regional proxies, the goal is often the same. These actions pave the way for the establishment of U.S. military bases throughout West Asia.
Vice President Harris recently declared Iran as the U.S.’s “greatest adversary,” a statement that many find puzzling. Traditional geopolitical analysis suggests China is the greatest threat to U.S. economic dominance, while Russia, with its vast nuclear arsenal, is considered America’s primary military rival.
Iran, by contrast, is a regional power, not a global one. So, what explains this clear logical fallacy?
Join us tonight on State of Play as we explore U.S. foreign policy in relation to Iran with Dr. Assal Rad, an Iranian historian, analyst, and author of “The State of Resistance: Politics, Culture, and Identity in Modern Iran.”
Greg Stoker is a former US Army Ranger with a human intelligence collection and analysis background. After serving four combat deployments in Afghanistan, he studied anthropology and International Relations at Columbia University. He is currently a military and geopolitical analyst and a social media “influencer,” though he hates the term.
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