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Iran's Theater of Victory

(JNS) Dr. Harold Rhode - In the aftermath of Israel's stunning air campaign against Iran, a curious and familiar phenomenon has unfolded across Iranian state media: a theatrical proclamation of victory that is reaching near-hallucinatory proportions. Iranian media proudly proclaimed that Israel and the U.S. had been "forced into a ceasefire" after sustaining "severe losses." In reality, it was Iran that absorbed the brunt of the damage. Simultaneously, Iranian media sought scapegoats to explain the military failure. State-aligned platforms ran stories blaming Russian President Putin for withholding advanced S-400 missile-defense systems. This blame-shifting is deeply rooted in Middle Eastern cultural dynamics, particularly the obsession with preserving honor. Admitting failure is seen not as humility but as weakness - a stain on personal and national prestige. Leaders must attribute failure to the treachery of supposed allies or the incompetence of subordinates. What we are witnessing is a regime that has lost its ability to control reality, but still retains control over perception, at least domestically. Iran's leaders know they were struck hard. They know their defenses failed. And they know that the world is watching. But as long as the people there remain too afraid to speak, the charade can continue. The writer, a fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, served as an adviser on the Islamic world for the U.S. Department of Defense for 28 years.
2025-07-03 00:00:00
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