The main objective of the military escalation around Iran was not only to apply military pressure but also to create chaos within the country and ultimately achieve a change of power. This opinion was expressed by Iran expert Vardan Voskanyan while commenting on recent developments surrounding Iran.
A strategy aimed at chaos and regime change
According to the analyst, one of the key objectives of military actions against Iran was to provoke internal instability.
He explains that the strategy was based on the assumption that severe external strikes would weaken or collapse state institutions. Such a collapse could then trigger what might be described as a “popular uprising.”
The Iran expert does not rule out that such a scenario could also include more far-reaching developments, potentially even the fragmentation of Iran and the establishment of a puppet government.
Internal consolidation instead of collapse
However, according to the expert, current developments suggest a somewhat different outcome.
He notes that even Western media outlets, which closely monitor events inside Iran, increasingly report signs of significant public consolidation around the state.
Factors behind societal consolidation
Voskanyan believes this consolidation is driven by several factors.
First, Iranian nationalism has long been closely intertwined with Shiite ideology. According to the expert, this became evident once again in the recent address of Iran’s spiritual leader, which he describes as having a nationalist-Shiite character.
A second important factor is external rhetoric. Voskanyan notes that statements from the United States and Israel frequently include rhetoric about Iran’s possible destruction or the impossibility of its existence within its current borders.
Such rhetoric, he argues, contributes to the consolidation of Iranian society. When the target of such statements is perceived not only as the government but as the entire country, the ruling authorities begin to be viewed by part of society not simply as a political force but as a defender of the nation’s existence.
According to the expert, when military actions are actually taking place, this perception becomes even stronger and further reinforces internal unity.