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Iran's "Cognitive War" Is More Dangerous than Missiles and Killer Drones

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Aviram Bellaishe - Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei understands that while Iran cannot defeat the U.S. militarily, it can strive to erode its foundations through propaganda. The front page of the May 2, 2024, issue of the weekly Khat-e-Hizbullah, the mouthpiece of Khamenei's office, featured a photo from the American campus protests with the heading: "A Flame in the Heart of Darkness: Uprising of American Students against the Genocide of the People of Gaza." Khamenei himself directs the propaganda activity aimed at linking the American students' support for Gaza with the destruction of the U.S. itself, using these students. Khamenei sees his role as a cognitive guide, directing the use of psychological tools and influencers. He employs the narrative of the "Palestinian struggle" to construct new narratives portraying Israel as the occupier, the racist, and the agent of genocide. In their naive blindness, the demonstrators believe in the messages full-heartedly but are unaware of the narratives invented by the Ayatollah regime. Part of this cognitive project is to turn Americans against the U.S. itself, which is portrayed as supporting the racist and genocidal Israel as described in the Iranian propaganda. Khamenei asserts that the war is now a cognitive war. He said, "The press has more potent influence than a missile, a drone, a warplane, and weapons in general. The media influences the mind and hearts, and he who controls the media succeeds in achieving his goals." On Oct. 17, 2023, ten days after Hamas' onslaught (and before Israeli ground forces entered Gaza), he chose to call the war in Gaza a "genocide," claiming that the Israelis were deliberately attacking residential areas. He called to put them on trial. He also shares his hope that "the world population will gain a deep understanding of Islam and its superiority to the West." Professor Fuad Yazdi of Tehran University, one of the prominent spokespersons of the Iranian regime, claimed on April 26, 2024, that the student protesters at U.S. universities "will take to the streets to support Iran." In his view, Iran can replicate its achievements in Lebanon in the U.S., where the "Hizbullah" groups are "much larger" than in Lebanon. Yazdi's words reflect the fact that the U.S. is the main target. He calls it the "Great Satan" and the "cardinal enemy of Iran" and says the recent events there "give us hope." The writer, VP for Strategy, Security, and Communications at the Jerusalem Center, has served in senior government positions for over 25 years.
2024-05-28 00:00:00
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