For decades, Iran was painted as the villain of the Middle East, demonised in Western media, sanctioned into economic suffocation, and encircled militarily by US bases and Israeli hostility. Regime change was whispered in Washington corridors as if it were only a matter of time. But time has a way of humbling empires and vindicating the resilient.
Today, the tables have decisively turned. What we are witnessing is nothing short of a geopolitical renaissance for Iran – a spectacular reversal of fortune. Once cornered, Iran now stands emboldened. Once dismissed, Iran now commands the world’s attention. No longer the isolated pariah, it is now a central actor in the region’s power calculus.
First, Iran has defied every prediction of collapse. Despite crippling sanctions, assassinations of top generals and scientists, cyber sabotage, and psychological warfare, it has endured, not just survived, but adapted, diversified, and innovated. Its influence now stretches across the Levant: from Tehran to Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, and Sana’a. That is not isolation, that is strategic depth.
Secondly, militarily, Iran has shown that it can retaliate, and do so with precision. Its missile capabilities, drone technology, and asymmetric warfare doctrine have levelled the battlefield against technologically superior adversaries. Israel and the U.S. may have long believed they could strike without consequence. That illusion is now shattered.
Thirdly, diplomatically, Iran is no longer in the shadows. It is forging new alliances, with China, with Russia, with a host of Global South nations disillusioned by Western double standards. The Abraham Accords may have sought to contain Iran, but they have only clarified the lines of resistance and exposed the fragility of normalization built on oppression.
Lastly, morally, Iran has emerged as a symbol, rightly or wrongly, of defiance against Western imperialism and hypocrisy. While Western leaders speak of democracy and human rights, their actions have armed aggressors and turned a blind eye to civilian suffering. Iran’s voice now resonates with those who ask: who polices the policemen?
It is arguable that Iran’s rise is not accidental; it is historical. It is not the result of aggression but of resilience. The same nations that sought to bring Iran to its knees are now scrambling to understand its posture, calculate its strength, and re-evaluate their own.
The West sought to subdue Iran, instead, it has awakened a power that refuses to be colonised in thought, spirit, or sovereignty. The Islamic Republic may not be perfect, but it has endured. And in a world where might no longer makes right, endurance, and the moral clarity of purpose – may well be the greatest strength of all.
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