War from a Persian Metaphysical Perspective

Despite the signing of a peace memorandum between the United States and Iran, the escalation of conflict between the two nations is unlikely to simply vanish and give way to peace, given the tendency of the US and its ally Israel to renege on peace agreements, or the situation could even become more uncertain. The recent decline in global oil prices, coupled with an agreement to increase production by OPEC countries, signals that the world’s oil supply routes—the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb—still play a crucial role. America and Israel must strictly adhere to any peace agreement with Iran if they wish to avoid the closure of these two straits by Iran. The world has already felt the consequences of the Strait of Hormuz closure by Iran, which caused global oil prices to skyrocket and impacted all sectors of life. Perhaps America assumed that a joint attack with Israel could, in a short time, cripple Tehran and lead to a regime change. America forgot that Iran is not Iraq, Libya, or Venezuela, which could be conquered within hours of a covert military operation. It appears America miscalculated. We can see how the Iranian people deeply love and respect their leader, as demonstrated during the funeral procession of Imam Ali Khamenei. Iran, historically known as Persia, has a long historical experience on the battlefield, having fought against great powers such as the armies of Alexander the Great, the Mongols, the Roman Empire, and the Islamic Caliphate. This is why the Persian nation is so bold in confronting America and its allies, despite their modern technology and weaponry. According to Iqbal, there are at least two major currents influencing the Persian perspective on war. First, in Zoroastrianism, the world is seen as an eternal battlefield between Asha (Truth, Light, Order) and Druj (Deceit, Darkness, Chaos). Man is not a spectator but a soldier engaged in this war. Neutrality is a moral impossibility; being neutral means siding with Druj, because war is never neutral but always partisan and metaphysical. The arrival of Islam brought the concept of monotheism, causing the Zoroastrian dualism to undergo a Hegelian aufhebung, elevating it to a higher value of divine unity. Persia then gave this a new colour when the tragedy of Karbala in 680 AD occurred, finding the perfect form for the Asha vs. Druj pattern. Hussein is the manifestation of Asha, and Yazid is the manifestation of Druj, while martyrdom is the highest path to ultimate reality.