On 4 July 2026, the United States of America celebrated its 250th anniversary of independence; at the same time, Iran began preparations for the funeral of its spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and opened the gates of the Grand Mosalla in Tehran. On 28 February, the USA launched the strikes on Khamenei’s residence; the results were disastrous and caused his death along with close family members. Iranian media is reporting that approximately fifteen to twenty million mourners have attended the funeral and ritual grief of their supreme leader. Two nations and two different situations on the same day. One is celebrating a party that it did not fully justify, while the other is burying a man who stood with his nation till death.

This is not a small irony. It is the story of the year.

From Epic Fury to the Versailles MoU

Washington and Tel Aviv started their operations, Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, against Iran at the start of 2026 with the belief that war would be decisive and short. The death of their leader would be the last nail in the coffin, but Iranian leadership showed that they followed an ideology, not a person. They dragged on the war for months and brought the superpower to the negotiation table. Iran surprised its enemies with asymmetric warfare and maritime........

© Paradigm Shift