On May 24, 2024, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s latest affirmation of ‘Death to America’ highlighted the enduring revolutionary ideology at the core of Iran’s government. Far from a rhetorical flourish, this stance guides state policy, deeply influencing regional alliances, proxy warfare, and the proliferation of instability throughout the Middle East. This article examines the strategies driving Iran’s actions, exploring how Tehran’s revolutionary doctrine translates to real-world consequences for the region, with an emphasis on Israel’s ongoing fight against Iranian-backed terror.
The Foundation of the Iranian Regime: Revolutionary Hostility
Iran’s theocratic regime was established following the 1979 revolution, which ousted the Western-backed Shah and brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power. Central to the new Islamic Republic was the principle of ‘exporting the revolution,’ achieved through direct confrontation with the United States, Israel, and their allies. Khomeini’s vision of velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist) merges religious and political authority, with opposition to Western influence enshrined in the state’s founding documents. Khamenei, as Khomeini’s successor, maintains these policies, using them to legitimize repression at home and aggression abroad.
The Illusion of Success: Domestic Weakness, Regional Expansion
Frequently described by supporters as ‘successful,’ Iran’s regime faces deep domestic crises. Under international sanctions, its economy is marked by inflation, high unemployment, and a collapsing currency. Yet, the regime prioritizes influence abroad over the welfare of its citizens. Using revenues from oil and other state assets, Iran finances the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and their vast network of proxies.
Iranian-Backed Terror Networks: Projection of Power and Regional Destabilization
The IRGC, particularly its Quds Force branch, is the primary means by which Iran extends its influence across the Middle East. Its proxies form the so-called ‘axis of resistance,’ targeting Israel, American interests, and moderate Arab states. This network includes:
- Hamas in Gaza: Iran provides funding, training, and advanced weaponry. Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023, remains the deadliest act of antisemitic violence since the Holocaust, involving executions, abductions, and atrocities coordinated with Iranian support.
- Hezbollah in Lebanon: Fully embedded in Iran’s military strategy, Hezbollah maintains an arsenal exceeding 150,000 rockets, repeatedly attacking Israeli communities and threatening regional escalation.
- Houthis in Yemen: Supplied with Iranian missiles and drones, the Houthis launch attacks on international shipping and regional capitals, sparking fresh security challenges in the Red Sea.
- Militias in Syria and Iraq: Iran’s support preserves the Assad regime and sustains violence against Western forces across Iraq and Syria.
These groups serve as platforms for destabilizing attacks well beyond Iranian soil, threatening Israel’s security, undermining regional order, and expanding Tehran’s leverage.
Human Cost: Repression at Home and Proxy Violence Abroad
While Iran projects force externally, it enforces strict social and political control internally. Protests—such as the 2022 women’s rights demonstrations—have been met with mass detentions, violence, and executions. Press freedom and dissent are virtually nonexistent. The regime’s critics face intimidation or death at home and abroad.
Outside Iran, the human toll of Tehran’s policies is devastating. The October 7, 2023, massacre by Hamas, the relentless rocket attacks from Hezbollah, and the destabilizing strikes by the Houthis all reflect operational and ideological support channeled from the IRGC.
Israel’s Response: Self-Defense Against Coordinated Threats
As Iran’s proxies intensify operations, Israel remains on constant alert. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercept rocket barrages and conduct targeted operations to degrade the capacity of hostile militias. The Israeli government, steadfast in its policy of defending citizens and securing hostages, consistently frames its actions as self-defense against an orchestrated campaign waged by Iranian-led groups.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have repeatedly asserted that any further erosion of Israeli security or the kidnapping of Israeli civilians will be met with powerful, coordinated military action, in keeping with Israel’s doctrine of deterrence.
Wider Implications: Iran’s Challenge to the West
Iranian hostility transcends its immediate region, as exemplified by sabotage operations, cyberattacks, and terror plots targeting the United States and Europe. Western powers, especially the United States, have imposed waves of sanctions, eliminated terror leaders such as Qassem Soleimani, and expanded cooperative missile defenses with regional allies.
However, Tehran’s entrenchment in the Middle East—especially through its ties to Russia and transnational terror organizations—remains a strategic challenge. Iran’s ideological leadership shows no sign of abandoning its vision of regional revolution, even as economic malaise at home deepens.
Moral and Legal Distinctions: International Law, Humanitarian Principles, and Propaganda
Iran attempts to mask its actions through propaganda about ‘resistance.’ However, international law and clear facts delineate a stark contrast: Israel operates as a sovereign democracy under siege, while Iran sponsors groups routinely violating civilian immunity, taking hostages, and deliberately targeting population centers.
Attempts to create false equivalence between Israel and Iranian-backed terror networks distort the real issues and foster dangerous moral ambiguity. The October 7 massacre, justified by Hamas and Iran as ‘resistance,’ was an act of indiscriminate terror—morally and legally distinct from Israel’s responses, which focus on minimizing civilian harm and restoring security.
Future Prospects: The Price of Misreading Iran’s Intentions
Describing Iran’s regime as successful ignores the fundamental reality: the leadership in Tehran advances its interests by perpetuating conflict, suppressing civil society, and exporting violence. The continued embrace of anti-Western slogans by Iran’s Supreme Leader, including his most recent calls for the destruction of the United States, signals both intent and method.
The stability of the Middle East, the security of Israel, and the broader international order hinge on confronting these realities. Effective policy and robust journalism require clear-eyed recognition of Iran’s actual motivations and behaviors, stripping away propaganda and holding actors accountable to factual records.
In the final analysis, Israel’s fight for survival—a campaign forced upon it by Iranian-backed terror networks—resonates beyond national borders. It is emblematic of the struggle between democratic order and violent revolution, between fact and distortion, between life-honoring values and the politics of death.
Iran’s actions remain a litmus test, not only for Middle Eastern security but for the global community’s commitment to confronting terror, supporting lawful self-defense, and preserving the moral truths essential to peace.
