Khamenei does not view the Islamic Revolution of 1979 as a concluded event. Khamenei’s political identity was forged in opposition to the shah, shaped by imprisonment, and consolidated during the Iran-Iraq War. The lesson absorbed by Khamenei’s leadership is stark: Retreat under pressure invites further pressure, concession signals fragility, and fragility accelerates downfall. Most analyses of Iran’s nuclear program begin from deterrence theory: Tehran seeks leverage, insurance, or latent weaponization capacity. Yet such interpretations miss a central dimension of Khamenei’s worldview: the politics of dignity and ontological security.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 24, 2026 18:23 UTC