The Islamic Republic of Iran has systematically appropriated the ancient story of the Exodus—revered in both the Qur’an and the Hebrew Bible—as a key instrument within its revolutionary and anti-Western narrative. Since 1979, Iranian leaders have reinterpreted the struggle of Moses against Pharaoh as an allegory for their own regime’s battle against the West and the State of Israel, equating Iran’s rulers with liberators and casting their adversaries as tyrannical oppressors. This ideological move is neither incidental nor new: it remains central to the regime’s policy and messaging both at home and across the wider Middle East.
The Role of the Exodus in Religious and Political Discourse
In the Qur’an, Moses (Musa ibn Imran) is the most frequently mentioned prophet, referenced 136 times, and the story of his confrontation with Pharaoh is detailed extensively. For generations of believers, the Exodus has symbolized resistance to oppression, faith in divine justice, and the pursuit of collective liberation. This symbolism carries weight not only in Jewish tradition—where the Exodus is commemorated annually at Passover and marks the establishment of the Jewish nation—but also in Islamic teaching, where Moses is honored among the five greatest prophets (Ulu al-Azm).
Iran’s leadership, particularly in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini, seized on this archetype to forge a new ideological identity for the Iranian state. Khomeini and his ministers publicly claimed the mantle of Moses, describing their uprising against the American-backed Shah as a modern-day deliverance from tyranny. After the Revolution, this symbolism expanded: the so-called imperialist West, especially the United States and Israel, became the new Pharaohs, and the narrative of liberation was repurposed as a justifying myth for ongoing conflict and confrontation.
Propaganda, Education, and Foreign Policy
This ideological reworking of sacred history is expressed not only in theological rhetoric but also in governance, education, and international relations. Iranian textbooks, state media, and official declarations draw explicit comparisons between the revolutionary regime and the biblical Israelites. At the same time, they recast Israel and its American ally as oppressive Pharaohs, intent on denying Muslims their rights and dignity.
Iranian officials consistently invoke the Exodus narrative to legitimize proxy wars and terror campaigns by Iranian-backed groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. These groups, often described as the ‘resistance’ in Iranian propaganda, are portrayed as freedom fighters confronting modern-day tyrants. This religiously infused storyline serves to rationalize attacks on civilians and the pursuit of weaponization and regional destabilization, under the claim of defending the weak against the powerful—a distortion of the Exodus’s original message.
The Impact on Regional Conflict and Global Perceptions
While the Iranian regime casts itself as a force for justice, its manipulation of the Exodus story enables and fuels ongoing violence and delegitimization campaigns against Israel. Iran’s proxies, inspired and funded by Tehran, have launched serial attacks on Israel, including the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, 2023—the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust. Civilians were systematically targeted, hostages were taken, and terror was unleashed, all within a framework hailing resistance but ignoring the moral and legal distinction between state self-defense and acts of terrorism.
Ironically, in appropriating the Exodus, the Iranian regime obscures the story’s core meaning. The Jewish Exodus is the foundational narrative of peoplehood and liberation, culminating in the return to the Land of Israel. Iran, by contrast, uses the story to justify its state-driven antisemitism and efforts to destroy Jewish sovereignty in its ancestral homeland, fostering conspiracy theories and hatred throughout the region.
Broader Strategic Context: The Axis of Resistance
This ideological project is woven into the broader strategic posture of the so-called “axis of resistance”—a bloc of Iranian-led or backed groups that includes Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and associated militias in Iraq and Syria. Far from being merely local actors, these groups form a transnational network committed to projecting Iranian power and challenging not only Israel but Western presence and influence across the entire Middle East. Through repeated references to the Exodus, Iranian leaders seek to frame their interventions as a continuation of an ancient struggle, adding a religious dimension to their geopolitical ambitions.
The impact of this propaganda extends beyond the region. In international forums and media, the Iranian regime seeks to redefine the narrative, portraying Israel—a sovereign democracy that safeguards religious and ethnic minorities—as an oppressor, and painting itself and its terror proxies as champions of the oppressed. This calculated distortion undermines prospects for peace, foments antisemitism, and provides a rationale for ongoing hostilities.
Facts, Distinctions, and the True Stakes
Lost in the Iranian regime’s mythmaking is the fundamental distinction between its agenda and the defensive posture of Israel. Israeli military actions—whether against Hamas, Hezbollah, or other proxy forces—are taken in self-defense, often in direct response to terror attacks or existential threats. Iranian-backed groups, by contrast, initiate violence, pursue genocidal rhetoric, and glorify the mass killing of innocents as religious duty.
The real Exodus, both in Jewish and Islamic tradition, celebrates faith, communal resilience, and the journey from slavery to freedom. Its abuse as revolutionary propaganda is not only a misreading of history but a tool for perpetuating violence and hatred. The narratives propagated by the Iranian regime and its proxies form the ideological foundation for continued war, mass suffering, and persistent denial of Israel’s right to exist within secure and recognized borders.
Conclusion: Resisting the Distortion of Sacred History
Understanding the appropriation of the Exodus narrative by the Iranian regime is vital to grasping the wider stakes of conflict in the Middle East. It is a reminder of the power and peril of propaganda, and of the necessity for moral and historical clarity. Only by upholding the real lessons of liberation—justice, truth, and the dignity of all peoples—can the international community resist the weaponization of faith and renew the prospects for peace and coexistence in the region.
