At this point, it’s not at all clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran can defeat the tiny State of Israel in a war, but the president of the Islamic Republic, Masoud Pezeshkian, nonetheless has far bigger quarry in view.
Pezeshkian declared Saturday: “In my opinion, we are at total war with the United States, Israel and Europe. They want to bring our country to its knees. This war is worse than the one launched against us by Iraq. On closer inspection, it is far more complex and difficult.”
Yes, indeed it is. The Iran-Iraq, which began in 1980 and went on until 1988, didn’t end in a clear victory for either side, but at least the Islamic Republic was still in power at the end of it. The outcome of this present war could be much worse for the mullahs, who are looking at the very real possibility that the end of their tyrannical rule could come in the very near future.
The New York Post reported that one big problem for the Islamic Republic comes in the form of UN sanctions that France, Britain and Germany called for, and that are designed to stymie the Islamic regime in its ongoing quest to develop nuclear weapons. The Iranians have suffered a considerable setback in that pursuit, for during the 12-Day War with Israel last June, the Israelis “obliterated much of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capabilities — with the assistance of devastating US airstrikes.”
As the Iranian regime attempts to cope with the sanctions and the ever-increasing disgust of the Iranian people with their rulers, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to arrive in the United States Monday for talks with President Donald Trump. Many onlookers have stated that Netanyahu plans to try to convince Trump to have the U.S. military again join Israel in striking Iran: “Israeli sources claim that the Islamic Republic is repairing its air defense systems and rebuilding its ballistic missile program, both of which were destroyed by airstrikes during the war.”
The mullahs are also attempting to increase their hold on their Sunni proxy Hamas. According to the Post, “a Tehran-backed candidate is also likely to win a major election to a leading role with Hamas. Khalil al-Hayya, a Palestinian politician, is expected to beat out Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal in an election for head of the group’s political bureau, which could be decided in the coming days.”
An al-Hayya victory would represent an increase in Iran’s already considerable influence over the jihad terror group, for which it provides the lion’s share of the funding. Al-Hayya is close to the mullahs and eager to ratchet up the pressure on the Jewish state, dashing the fond hopes of those who actually believed that the Gaza ceasefire meant the dawning of a lasting peace in the Middle East.
Pezeshkian, however, has indicated that the Iranian regime has far, far bigger goals than just the destruction of the Jewish state, as seismic as that would be. Yet the idea that the Islamic Republic is at war with the U.S. is nothing new. Iran’s war footing against the United States goes back to the beginnings of the Islamic Republic in 1979, and it has frequently reiterated its hostility and belligerent goals since then.
As The Complete Infidel’s Guide to Iran details, Iranian leaders have for years engaged in extremely bellicose rhetoric against the U.S. Back in Nov. 2024, an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps operative, Farhad Shakeri, was indicted for plotting to kill Trump. And long before Trump became president, on Feb. 11, 2014, the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iranian Chief of Staff Hassan Firouzabadi boasted: “Iran is prepared for the decisive war against the U.S. and the Zionist regime…. Iran has been making plans, conducting maneuvers, and preparing its forces for this battle for years now.”
In May 2014, senior Iranian commander Massoud Jazayeri warned that if the U.S. attacked Iran, not only would the result be “the annihilation of the Israeli regime,” but war in the U.S. itself: “[The Americans] know that aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran would mean annihilation of Tel Aviv and spread of war into the United States.”
Related: Iran Opens New Front in Its War Against the U.S. — But Not the Way You Think
Fadavi added: “Today the Americans and the entire world know that one of our operational goals is destroying U.S. Navy Forces.” In May 2015, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Hossein Salami actually said that Iran wanted war with the United States: “We have prepared ourselves for the most dangerous scenarios and this is no big deal and is simple to digest for U.S.; we welcome war with the U.S. as we do believe that it will be the scene for our success to display the real potentials of our power.”’
Do the mullahs still welcome war with the U.S., even after the disaster of June 2025? It certainly looks as if they do.
The Islamic Republic of Iran will remain on a war footing with the U.S. At PJ Media, we will be among the few who will tell you the truth about it. Become a PJ Media VIP today, and you’ll get all our content and none of our ads. Use code MERRY74 for 74% off.
