The Islamic Republic Needs External Conflict to Preserve Internal Power

Many analyses of Iran’s confrontation with Israel focus on ideology, military strategy, or regional influence. While these factors matter, they often overlook a deeper structural reality: the Islamic Republic’s survival has historically depended on external crises that reinforce internal cohesion.

The Iranian regime is not a conventional state. It functions through what can be described as an “onion structure” of power—a system of multiple protective layers built around the preservation of the ruling core. At the center stand the Supreme Leader and the security establishment, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Surrounding this core are political institutions, economic networks, ideological organizations, and proxy forces that collectively protect the regime from both domestic and external threats.

This structure is designed not merely to govern but to survive.

One of the most important lessons learned by the Islamic Republic came during the Iran-Iraq War. In the years following the 1979 revolution, the new regime faced severe internal challenges, including political fragmentation, economic instability, and........

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