How Iran fights an imposed war
Al Jazeera
March 4, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Iran’s approach to dealing with conflicts is rooted in its belief that wars are “imposed” by external powers rather than chosen by Tehran. This strategy, which has been evident throughout Iran’s history, focuses not on achieving battlefield victories but on raising the regional and global costs for any attempt to overthrow the regime. The article highlights three key conflicts—its decades-long war with Iraq, Israel’s 2025 offensive joined by the U.S., and the current conflict beginning in February 2026—as examples of Iran’s interpretation of “imposed wars.”
Iran’s leaders have historically avoided direct military confrontation due to its high political and economic costs. This aversion is tied to a broader tendency within the leadership to avoid surprises or situations they feel unprepared for, as seen during the Arab Spring and Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. Tehran’s response to such challenges is to ensure that any effort to destabilize it comes at an unacceptable cost for adversaries.
The article also notes Iran’s preference for managing conflicts through diplomacy rather than direct military engagement. This was evident in its negotiations with Western powers over its nuclear program under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), though tensions escalated after the U.S. withdrawal from the deal in 2018 and the subsequent “maximum pressure” campaign led by Washington and Israel. The assassination of Qassem Soleimani in 2020 marked a turning point, solidifying Tehran’s belief that it faced an existential threat
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Originally published on Al Jazeera on 3/4/2026