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ANALYSIS

‘The Mobius Strip,’ or how the Iran-Iraq war shaped the Islamic Republic

From the rise of the IRGC to the establishment of a brutal repression policy, the conflict has defined the outlines of a regime that relies on a state of emergency to maintain its dominance at home.

‘The Mobius Strip,’ or how the Iran-Iraq war shaped the Islamic Republic

(Illustration by Jaimee Lee Haddad/L'Orient-Le Jour)

A war was triggered by a surprise attack, a demonized enemy, an underlying conflict spanning several years, a vastly unbalanced power dynamic, an Iranian regime on the brink of collapse and near-total diplomatic isolation.Despite its unprecedented nature, the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran (June 13–24) carried a strong sense of déjà vu for the Islamic Republic.Certainly, the enemy’s face has changed. Benjamin Netanyahu has replaced Saddam Hussein. The Zionist state, rather than the Baathist regime, embodies the ideology to be destroyed. But the core remains: Tehran is engaged in an existential struggle for the survival of the Islamic Revolution.“Iran will never surrender,” said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in his first speech after the cease-fire with Israel on Thursday, June 26. Read more After the war, Iran’s regime slips...
A war was triggered by a surprise attack, a demonized enemy, an underlying conflict spanning several years, a vastly unbalanced power dynamic, an Iranian regime on the brink of collapse and near-total diplomatic isolation.Despite its unprecedented nature, the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran (June 13–24) carried a strong sense of déjà vu for the Islamic Republic.Certainly, the enemy’s face has changed. Benjamin Netanyahu has replaced Saddam Hussein. The Zionist state, rather than the Baathist regime, embodies the ideology to be destroyed. But the core remains: Tehran is engaged in an existential struggle for the survival of the Islamic Revolution.“Iran will never surrender,” said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in his first speech after the cease-fire with Israel on Thursday, June 26. Read more After the war, Iran’s...
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