The Islamic Republic of Iran was created shortly after the revolution in 1979 overthrew the country’s monarchy. Not only did this cause a seismic political shift, but it led to the creation of a theocracy. The fusion of religion with government reshaped every aspect of Iranian life. Under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, women’s rights were stripped and protests were met with force. The regime entrenched what many have called gender apartheid into law by classifying women as second-hand citizens and limiting their rights in divorce, inheritance, child custody and education.
Criticizing this regime is not controversial. It is necessary.
However, the Iranian government is not equivalent with Islam, nor does it represent the beliefs of all Muslims. Reducing a 1,400 year old faith practiced by almost two billion people to the actions of one nation is not only misleading, but dangerous. The Islamic Republic does not own Islam nor define it, and it definitely does not speak for all Iranian’s.
In the wake of the joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes that killed Khamenei, that distinction has been lost.
President Donald Trump called these strikes an act of liberation. He called Khamenei’s death “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country,” urging citizens to seize the opportunity created by him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And people have done just that, celebrating all over the world.
But in reality, everything is political. Trump did not carry out these strikes with the sole intention of freeing Iran. Salvation doesn’t come from foreign bombs or at the cost of dozens of school-age children killed in the process. The very way this “freedom” was delivered exposes the hypocrisy of such claims.
While some Iranian’s are celebrating the fall of a dictator, something much greater is at risk. This operation has opened the door for greater escalation, with cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi taking fire in retaliation.
Oil prices have skyrocketed. Fear is growing, and Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Tehran are now symbols of potential catastrophes. The Middle East is once again, the chessboard for global dominance.
In a post on X, activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir said the U.S.-Israeli strikes were carried out “under the pretense of liberating the individual.” Jason Hickel, an economist, went further, calling the U.S. and Israel “the single greatest threat to humanity,” with the world being forced to live in a nightmare they created. There is a growing global exhaustion over Western intervention and power politics that are framed as humanitarian concern.
Here is where imperialism enters the conversation. For decades, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East has operated under ideals of democracy and stability while pursuing strategic dominance. Rich in oil, Iran has been a target of many Western nations hoping to contain and control them. Removing Khamenei destabilizes the regime, but it also disrupts the region, creating openings for influence and potential economic gain.
Trump’s record makes it incredibly difficult to accept his claims of liberation as true. A president facing his own controversies positioning himself as a savior of Iranian women rings hollow. The idea that women suffering under gender apartheid is a concern of this administration is far-fetched.
None of this absolves the Islamic Republic of its crimes. This regime has brutalized its own citizens, controlled women’s bodies, silenced journalists and jailed those who opposed them. Iranian’s have every right to despise their government.
But it’s important to think of the bigger picture. Foreign intervention isn’t a neutral act and rarely ever selfless. When the United States partnered with Israel to carry out air strikes under the pretense of freedom, they needed to question the motive.
With 43% percent of Americans disapproving of Trump’s war with Iran, it adds to the concerns over international law violations and potential for a world war.
A fallen dictator can feel like justice, but the possibility of a greater war, economic exploitation and loss of life begs the question: was it liberation after all?
Iran deserves freedom from authoritarianism. Its people deserve dignity, self-autonomy and safety. However, real freedom cannot be delivered through imperial ambition. It cannot be engineered by foreign powers who have their own interests at heart.
The Islamic Republic is not Islam, and Trump and Netanyahu are not saviors. War, no matter how it is branded, always comes at a greater cost.
Safa Razvi is a sophomore studying journalism and serves as the Opinion Editor for The Daily Cardinal. Do you believe Trump's imperial ambitions are behind the airstrikes on Iran? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com
