Anyone who imagines recent events in West Asia (particularly Israeli attacks on Iran echoing around the world) is making a major strategic mistake, anyone who imagines it as a regional influence, fear of nuclear technology, or a struggle for attempts to overthrow political institutions. While US President Donald Trump may have been right to realize that a change in administration could be one of the consequences of these conflicts, what is wrong is to investigate the roots of the story.
Trump’s mind and his longtime ally Netanyahu turned into war with clear and declared goals, from destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities to eliminating what they call “Iran’s missile threat.” However, the tactical goals were not realized and the strategic dreams were not realized. Trump’s contradictory statements at various times were evidence of failure, not just military, but deeper levels of civilization. The conflict has been taking place among civilizations since the dawn of history.
But is this the end of a four-year conflict shaped by equipment, training, proxy conflicts, threats and sanctions? Or does it simply reveal the surface of a deeper crisis?
In a world where power is no longer defined by the logic of missile weapons, not just by missile arsenals, but in a world where power is no longer defined by the logic of “superpowers”, security artificial intelligence and technological warfare, combat cannot be measured by classical standards. Today’s war is more about the “centrality of civilization” than the concepts that Fukuyama wrote in detail in 1992 and the concepts that Fukuyama wrote in detail in 1996. In this sense, the war between Iran, Israel and the US should be considered a crystallization of the conflict between two civilization projects.
Iran is the axis of the Islamic revolution, and the embodiment of its civilization in the geopolitical dimension seeks to redefine its historical position. A position beyond the role the West was assigned to since the era of colonialism and subsequent industrialisation: “Genderm of the Gulf” or a sub-actor of the World Order. Today, Iran is trying to become a model of civilization that balances sophisticated technology with value sovereignty. A model that is seen as a serious challenge to the liberal capitalist world and the Israeli security order.
From an Israeli perspective, the real threat lies not in the nature of the weapon, but in the nature of the owner. The danger begins when the weapon is in the hands of an ideological mindset that does not tolerate existing order. For this reason, Zionist doctrines do not tolerate the nuclear knowledge and skills that own Islamic countries.
As Iran moved from the defensive stage to the innovative stage, civilised elements took on a critical role in regional politics and security. By investing in the indigenous capacity in production, export, technological independence and economic resilience, Iran has not only overcome sanctions, but also transformed them into tools for internal strengthening. As we actually witnessed in a new round of sanctions – called the harshest thing in American history – their failures.
From the perspective of Western theorists such as Huntington, Islamic civilization is a double threat due to its ideological inclusiveness, change and dependence on divine authority. Not only do they don’t want to be a subordinate member of the world order, they also have the ability to mobilize people across borders. Iran’s regional actions in terms of “axis of resistance” reflect this view. Exporting models through inspiration rather than normative methods. Contrary to what the Iranian enemy claims, this is not an export revolution, but a revolution that the state itself imported.
In Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Palestine, a current of resistance came to Tehran, but not the other way around. Even the “national citizen” project, transcending ethnicity and geographical boundaries, came to fruition when the state was complicit in it. This is the historical path of civilization. They inspire before creating a composition.
If Tehran had followed a similar path to some countries in the region (which could not allow alcohol sales on the streets, open glorious Western concerts, or open the country’s economy to predatory American capitalism), it would not only see no opposition, but Washington itself would have called for the construction of Iranian nuclear power plants. As in the case of Shah Pallavi’s reign. The same president who travels to local countries can take $5 trillion from the pockets of those countries, will not have any problems with tame, uncharacteristic, customizable Islam. Islam, the Americans want, can be used in a global order. It is not Muhammad’s pure Islam (Pbuh).
From this perspective, recent wars have not been a one-off event, but rather a process of gradual condensation. From tanker wars to assassination of scientists, from economic sanctions to nuclear threats. However, when Iran’s civilization rights crossed borders and became a geopolitical reality in the form of a “axis of resistance” project, the US and Israel saw it as an existential threat.
Assassinations, military strikes, missile reactions, and open conflicts are all superficial symptoms of deeper conflict. The threat to American and Israeli strategists is not in missiles, but in models of governance based on ideology, military independence, and narrative autonomy.
Iran is opposed to the US globalization project in its alternative projects. Something that places justice, spirituality and sovereignty in the center. Therefore, as Bruzezinski and Kissinger said, the emergence of such a civilization is sufficient to shake up the global balance.
This war is not the current war. It’s not over yesterday either. Rather, it is a conflict with the future. Between those who view themselves as the carrier of the heavenly message and those who view power alone as the standard of legitimacy.
Yes, this is a global moment of tension that promises the birth of a new civilized order. It redefines not only the geography, but also the meaning of memory, story, perspective, and existence.
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