A moment of moral clarity

In a region filled with so many threats, none stands higher than the Islamic Republic of Iran.

After Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini seized power in 1979, Iran transformed from a Western-aligned monarchy into an Islamist theocracy with an explicitly anti-Western ideology and an expansionist, revolutionary mission.

Women were forced into compulsory hijab under the watch of the morality police – enforcement that has led to arrests, beatings and deaths, including that of Mahsa Amini in 2022. LGBTQ+ individuals face imprisonment and execution. Political dissent was met with brutal suppression.

Before the revolution, Iran’s relationship with Israel had been pragmatic, marked by intelligence cooperation, energy ties and even direct flights between Tel Aviv and Tehran.

But in the 47 years since, eternal enmity has been a fundamental doctrine of the regime.