Political scientist John Mearsheimer’s realist theory also applies here: “Great powers are always looking for opportunities to gain power over their rivals.” Yet in this case, the lesser military power—guided by ideology rather than imperial ambition—demonstrated resilience that frustrated both American and Israeli expectations.
By Tufail Shah
Political Commentator | Kashmir
After a rapid escalation between Iran, Israel, and the United States, a ceasefire was declared. While mainstream narratives framed it as de-escalation or diplomatic success, a deeper reading reveals something more profound: Iran, under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, emerged not as a defeated state—but as a symbol of enduring resistance.
The sequence was intense: Israel launched preemptive strikes, Iran retaliated, the US intervened with targeted attacks on nuclear sites, and Iran responded with a calibrated missile barrage. Despite immense pressure, Iran’s core infrastructure—especially its fortified Fordow nuclear facility—remained largely intact.
The Ayatollah Khamenei Doctrine in Action
Imam Khamenei’s leadership throughout the confrontation demonstrated strategic patience and ideological clarity. His doctrine of “resistance against arrogance” (esteqamat barabar-e estekbar) translated directly into policy and posture. Iran neither overreacted nor capitulated.
In a 2021 speech, Khamenei declared: “The resistance front is not a military tactic; it is a worldview rooted in truth, dignity, and standing firm against injustice.” His vision aligns with a long-standing narrative of confronting what he calls “the global arrogance,” particularly embodied by the United States and its regional allies.
As Noam Chomsky once argued, “The violence of the powerful is normalized; the resistance of the weak is criminalized.” In this episode, Iran reversed that logic. It exposed the contradictions of Western rhetoric by withstanding military pressure while avoiding reckless escalation.
Political scientist John Mearsheimer’s realist theory also applies here: “Great powers are always looking for opportunities to gain power over their rivals.” Yet in this case, the lesser military power—guided by ideology rather than imperial ambition—demonstrated resilience that frustrated both American and Israeli expectations.
Ayatollah Khamenei had long warned of this dynamic, stating: “Whenever a nation stands against the will of imperialists, they are branded as rogue. But this resistance is the very sign of their awakening.”
Resilience as a Strategic Asset
Iran’s missile response may not have destroyed strategic targets, but it delivered a clear message: Israel’s air defense systems can be overwhelmed. The Islamic Republic showed that it could retaliate under duress and still control the tempo of escalation—a significant psychological and strategic victory.
In Ayatollah Khamenei’s words: “The enemy’s goal is to break the spirit of the Iranian nation. But they do not understand that this spirit is rooted in faith and history.”
As political theorist Mahmood Mamdani noted, “When victims refuse to be victimized, they cease to be objects of history and become its makers.” This confrontation reaffirmed Iran’s self-image not as an isolated state, but as a leading force in the global resistance to Western domination.
Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution echoed this sentiment years ago when he said: “We are not fighting to expand power, but to defend truth. Resistance is not surrendering in front of injustice. It is carving a path for the future.”
Western Miscalculations and Khamenei’s Vindication
Despite boasting of crippling Iran’s nuclear program, Western intelligence and media outlets later admitted the damage was limited. Iran still holds around 400kg of uranium enriched to 60%, and neither US intelligence nor the International Atomic Energy Agency found evidence of a bomb-making program.
Trump’s decision to ignore those findings and launch attacks anyway revealed the political nature of the conflict. His Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, even dismissed the intelligence as “irrelevant”—a clear illustration of the West’s disregard for its own rules when dealing with adversaries like Iran.
In contrast, Khamenei’s restraint underscored strategic maturity, not weakness. He allowed symbolic retaliation, maintained internal unity, and upheld Iran’s regional deterrent—all without plunging the nation into an uncontrollable war.
“Sometimes, patience is more powerful than retaliation,” Khamenei has said. “We respond not from weakness, but from calculated wisdom. The world is watching who loses control and who commands it.”
As historian Vijay Prashad once said: “Empires fall not when they are beaten militarily, but when the world ceases to believe in them.” In this moment, it was not just missiles but narratives that collided—and Iran’s narrative endured.
This ceasefire will be remembered not merely for halting the violence, but for what it unveiled. Iran’s capacity to endure pressure from two global military powers—while maintaining strategic discipline and moral clarity—reframed the conflict on its own terms. As Ayatollah Khamenei has stated: “We do not seek war, but if war is imposed on us, the Iranian nation will defend with strength and honor. Dignity is not negotiable.”
Through measured retaliation and ideological steadfastness, what could have been a moment of vulnerability became an affirmation of endurance. Khamenei’s leadership, shaped by decades of confrontation with Western powers, emphasized not retaliation for its own sake, but resistance as a form of sovereignty. In his own words: “Resistance is not a tactic—it is our identity. It is what has preserved the dignity of this nation.”
In another speech, he warned: “Do not mistake our forbearance for fear. It is rooted in confidence. We act not to impress the arrogant, but to serve the oppressed.”
The narrative, ultimately, was not written in battlefield outcomes alone but in the meaning each side assigned to their actions. In that arena, Iran emerged not as a passive actor or defeated power—but as a defiant symbol, reminding the world that in the face of overwhelming force, conviction remains a form of power.
