Two weeks after the ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Republic, signs that Israel, backed by the United States and Western allies, is pursuing a policy of “Lebanonizing” Iran are beginning to materialize.
Any viable political force hoping to step in must already have a domestic base, an organizational structure, and some measure of security and military support to prevent the collapse into anarchy. No such force exists.
Whether the Iranian public is supportive of these strikes or instead deeply fearful remains unclear. While opposition groups abroad have expressed elation, and outlets such as Iran International have extensively amplified Israeli messaging in recent hours, the internal mood appears more complex.
“The Great Satan”, a label once wielded by the founder of the Islamic Republic to describe the United States, has long faded from Iranian discourse. Today, few Iranians remember the revolutionary fervor that once infused the phrase.
What journalism means in a Western democracy is not identical to what it means for a diasporic Persian outlet like ours. And yet—amid all these differences—there are a few things that should remain universal.