ARTICLE - "Iran: Back to the Norm" for War and Peace

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Substack article: "Iran: Back to the Norm" for War and Peace
Dated: Apr 03, 2026

DERIVED WORKS

1. 04/06/26 - EIN Presswire release

REFERENCES

The Perfectly Tied Knot Now Tangled

Inside the Operation That Killed Khamenei (Article)
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/inside-the-operation-that-killed-khamenei-03eebbad
The unexpected daylight attack, Operation Genesis, killed Khamenei and was the opening blow in Israel and the U.S.’s war with Iran.

U.S. Forces Launch Operation Epic Fury
https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4418396/us-forces-launch-operation-epic-fury/
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commenced Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, at the direction of the President of the United States.

Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz between 2014 and 2024
https://www.statista.com/statistics/277157/key-figures-for-the-strait-of-hormuz/
One fifth of global oil supply flows through this passage, and there is no viable alternative for the transport of oil from the region. 

Which Iranian Leaders Have Been Killed and Who Survived?
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-and-israel-exact-heavy-toll-on-irans-leaders-8320addf
Here’s a look at the Iranian leaders who have died in the assault, and those who have survived.

The Strategy That Untangles the Knot

Theocracy Countries 2026
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/theocracy-countries
Theocracies stand in contrast to other forms of government such as democracies, in which the power belongs to the people; as well as monarchies, in which a single human person rules; and oligarchies, which are ruled by a small group of people (typically wealthy elites) but which lacks a spiritual component.

Iranian Revolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution
The revolution led to the replacement of the Imperial State of Iran by the Islamic Republic of Iran, as the monarchical government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was superseded by Ruhollah Khomeini, an Islamist cleric who had headed one of the rebel factions. 

History of the Islamic Republic of Iran
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran
Its constitution was approved in 1979 and amended in 1989. Jaafari (Usuli) school of thought is the official religion. Theocratic bodies supervise the government which has an elected president and elected governmental bodies at the national, provincial and local levels. All male and female citizens from the age of 18 on up may vote for candidates approved by the Council of Guardians which had veto power over who can run for parliament (the Islamic Consultative Assembly) and whether its bills can become law.

Once, Israel and Iran were allies – even under the ayatollahs
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/06/22/once-israel-and-iran-were-allies-even-under-the-ayatollahs_6742603_4.html
Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled in Tehran from 1941 to 1979, de facto recognized Israel in 1950, two years after it was established. He made that recognition official and public in 1960.

Little Satan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Satan

Great Satan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Satan

MEMRI analysis of Khamenei’s doctrine
https://www.memri.org/reports/irans-hostility-towards-us-%E2%80%93-contrasting-outlooks-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei-and-regime
The Islamic Republic of Iran's hostility to the U.S. … is framed as a religious principle.”

Conflict between the Islamic Republic and the US, an inherent conflict
https://english.khamenei.ir/news/11974/Conflict-between-the-Islamic-Republic-and-the-US-an-inherent
(Copilot summary) Both Khomeini and Khamenei explicitly frame hostility toward the U.S. and Israel as a religious duty, rooted in God’s command, rather than personal hatred.  

Iran Update Evening Special Report, March 12, 2026
https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-evening-special-report-march-12-2026/
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first statement on March 12 after the Assembly of Experts selected him as the new supreme leader on March 8. Khamenei reaffirmed the regime’s commitment to Iran’s war effort in order to achieve Iran’s long-standing objectives, including the erosion and eventual expulsion of American influence from the Middle East and the destruction of the Israeli state. 

Tying the Theocratic Pillar

Aggressive New Digital Repression in Iran in the Era of the Woman, Life, Freedom Uprisings
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2023/11/new-digital-dilemmas-resisting-autocrats-navigating-geopolitics-confronting-platforms#aggressive-new-digital-repression-in-iran-in-the-era-of-the-woman-life-freedom-uprisings
The tragic death of Jhina (Mahsa) Amini due to beatings while in the custody of Iran’s morality police precipitated a massive popular uprising in the country in September 2022. 

Analytical Report on “Iranians’ Political Preferences in 2024”
https://gamaan.org/2025/08/20/analytical-report-on-iranians-political-preferences-in-2024/
A significant majority of Iranians (around 70%) oppose the continuation of the Islamic Republic. The highest level of opposition (81%) occurred during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising.

Disappeared bodies, mass burials and ‘30,000 dead’: what is the truth of Iran’s death toll?
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/27/iran-protests-death-toll-disappeared-bodies-mass-burials-30000-dead
Estimates of the number killed vary substantially, hampered by the ongoing internet shutdown. The Iranian government has acknowledged more than 3,000 dead, and the US-based organisation HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency), whose figures have been reliable during previous crackdowns, says it has verified more than 6,000 dead and has more than 17,000 more recorded deaths under investigation, giving a possible total of about 22,000. Other estimates from doctors based outside Iran range up to 33,000 or more.