DID Press: The Atlantic magazine argues that Donald Trump’s Iran policy is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of Iranian society and the country’s political structure, ultimately working to the advantage of the Islamic Republic.
The analysis notes that when Trump initially pledged support for Iranian protesters, there was a brief window in which such backing might have had real impact. However, those promises never translated into concrete action, and optimism quickly gave way to disillusionment, reinforcing perceptions that Trump’s threats were largely rhetorical.
According to The Atlantic, even as U.S. naval assets move closer to the region, a core reality remains unchanged: any direct attack on Iran would reinforce the long-standing narrative of a “foreign enemy” that the Islamic Republic has consistently used to mobilize domestic support.
The magazine argues that confronting an external adversary is not a vulnerability for Tehran, but rather a unifying force that can strengthen internal cohesion and national solidarity. Historically, Iranians have shown strong resistance to foreign intervention and attempts by outsiders to shape their political destiny.
The analysis concludes that confrontation with the United States or Israel is a scenario the Islamic Republic has prepared for since the 1979 revolution, and such a clash would not necessarily weaken Iran’s internal power structure—in fact, it could consolidate it.