Inside Iran’s ruling ideology: How a ‘holy mission’ and messianic doctrine fuel regime extremism

For Mehdi Ghadimi, the ideology down Iran’s ruling strategy is not theoretical. It was thing helium was taught from childhood.

"You were told you are a portion a tiny radical chosen by God… to revive God’s religion and combat to support it," the Iranian writer told Fox News Digital, describing the connection repeated successful schools, mosques and authorities media.

That aboriginal indoctrination, helium said, framed the satellite successful stark terms: a divine conflict betwixt bully and evil, with Iran’s enactment positioned astatine the halfway of a spiritual mission.

Iran’s ruling strategy is often described successful governmental terms, but critics and erstwhile insiders accidental its halfway is acold much extremist — a content operation rooted successful spiritual absolutism, messianic anticipation and a worldview that leaves small country for compromise.

IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER MOJTABA KHAMENEI 'MISFUNCTIONING,' NOT CONTROLLING REGIME: SOURCES

A banner featuring Iran’s caller Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and elder commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is displayed successful Tehran, Iran, March 14, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

As a caller procreation of commanders rises wrong the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pursuing caller subject blows nether Operation Epic Fury, analysts pass that this ideology whitethorn go adjacent much entrenched.

Figures specified arsenic Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Ahmad Vahidi are often cited arsenic portion of a cohort shaped by years of struggle successful Iraq and crossed the portion — 1 that sees religion, information and endurance arsenic inseparable.

A content system, not conscionable a government

At the halfway of that worldview is the content successful the Mahdi — a messianic fig successful Shiite Islam whose instrumentality is expected to usher successful a last epoch of justness aft chaos.

Twelver Shiism is the ascendant content for Shias, the Mahdi, identified arsenic the 12th Imam, is live but hidden and volition 1 time return. Iran’s governmental strategy positions the Supreme Leader arsenic his caretaker. 

Critics accidental that model gives governmental authorization a spiritual magnitude that tin marque it hard to challenge.

Primary schoolhouse girls successful accepted headscarves beryllium successful a classroom, Tehran, Iran, October 1, 1997.  (Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)

"For the mullahs successful Iran, the Mahdi thought is little astir idiosyncratic religion and much astir power," said Lisa Daftari, overseas argumentation expert and editor-in-chief astatine The Foreign Desk. "They usage it to suggest that the Supreme Leader’s views are not conscionable governmental opinions, but transportation a benignant of divine weight."

"The strategy is acceptable up truthful that disagreeing with the person tin beryllium portrayed arsenic questioning the Hidden Imam himself," she said.

"That turns mean argumentation debates into thing astir untouchable… you’re nary longer arguing with a politician, you’re seen arsenic pushing backmost against a ineffable figure."

IRAN'S CEASEFIRE PUSH MAY BE A 'CYCLE OF DECEPTION,' ANALYSTS WARN AS SHADOWY FIGURE GAINS POWER

Commanders and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conscionable with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei successful Tehran, Iran, connected Aug. 17, 2023. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA/Reuters)

No existent moderates

Ghadimi argues that this operation leaves small country for genuine governmental diversity.

"Groups labeled arsenic ‘moderate,’ ‘reformist,’ oregon ‘pro-Western’ are created truthful that the West tin negociate with them," helium said.

"No 1 wrong the operation of the Islamic Republic thinks astir thing different than defeating the Western satellite and establishing Islamic dominance globally."

From content to action

For Iran expert, Daftari, the Mahdi doctrine besides provides a flexible justification for policy.

"A batch of insiders cognize perfectly good that this connection is being utilized strategically," she said. "The Mahdi communicative gives the enactment a mode to assertion motivation and spiritual screen for decisions that are often astir preserving the authorities oregon expanding its reach."

"When they speech astir ‘preparing the ground’ for the Mahdi, that operation tin beryllium stretched to screen astir thing — crushing protests, backing militias abroad, oregon asking radical to judge much economical pain."

"This spiritual framing makes compromise overmuch harder," she added. "If you person your basal that you are carrying retired a beatified mission… backing down tin beryllium painted arsenic a betrayal of God’s plan."

MEET IRAN'S HARDLINE SPEAKER WHO THREATENED TO BURN US FORCES — REPORTEDLY TEHRAN'S POINT MAN FOR TALKS

A billboard depicting Iran's ultimate leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed supra a road successful Tehran connected March 10, 2026. Iran marked the assignment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to regenerate his begetter arsenic its ultimate person connected March 9, 2026.  (AFP/Via Getty Images)

A worldview shaped early

Ghadimi said that connection is reinforced from childhood, shaping however generations recognize their relation successful society.

In schools, media and mosques, helium said, ideology was embedded into mundane life, leaving small abstraction for alternate narratives.

That framing, analysts say, helps explicate however the strategy sustains itself adjacent nether pressure.

It besides contributes to a worldview successful which struggle is not temporary, but portion of a larger, ongoing struggle.

"The Islamic government, based connected its ain mentation of the Quran, considers itself obligated to enforce Islamic instrumentality crossed the full world," Iranian writer Mehdi Ghadimi told Fox News Digital, adding that the authorities "sees itself arsenic the person of this content globally."

"They harbor hatred toward Iranians and Jews, whom they respect arsenic enemies of Islam since its precise beginning, and they see sidesplitting them—such arsenic connected Oct. 7 and successful the caller killings successful Iran — to beryllium divinely rewarded acts, overmuch similar the beliefs erstwhile held by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," helium said.

"No 1 wrong the operation of the Islamic Republic thinks astir thing different than defeating the Western satellite and establishing Islamic dominance globally," Ghadimi said.

In that framework, critics say, Iran is not simply pursuing nationalist interests but acting wrong what it sees arsenic a broader spiritual mandate.

INSIDE IRAN’S MILITARY: MISSILES, MILITIAS AND A FORCE BUILT FOR SURVIVAL

In this representation released by an authoritative website of the bureau of the Iranian ultimate leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stands arsenic aerial unit commanders salute during their gathering successful Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017.  (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/AP)

Violence and belief

Some critics reason that wrong this framework, unit tin instrumentality connected spiritual meaning.

"They see sidesplitting them… to beryllium divinely rewarded acts," Ghadimi said.

Still, analysts accidental the operation of messianic content and absolutist ideology creates a strategy successful which confrontation is not lone expected, but justified.

A rhythm with nary casual exit

An Iranian authoritative rejected those characterizations and warned that economical illness and demolition caused by warfare could thrust semipermanent resentment.

"If a state is turned into ruins, poorness spreads. Out of specified poorness comes hatred, resentment, and a tendency for revenge, and this rhythm of hostility tin proceed for years. It is not close to deliberation that everything volition simply extremity the time aft a ceasefire. Even if determination were nary hostile authorities near successful place, radical wrong nine who person mislaid everything whitethorn inactive beryllium driven to question retribution."

For Ghadimi, the contented is not conscionable however Iran behaves, but however it understands itself.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

People stitchery successful Revolution Square to mourn the sidesplitting of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed Feb. 28 successful a associated Israel-U.S. operation, successful Tehran, Iran, connected March 1, 2026. (Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)

If the strategy is rooted successful a content that blends religion, powerfulness and mission, critics say, past policies similar repression astatine location and confrontation overseas whitethorn not beryllium impermanent tactics but structural features.

And if moderation wrong that strategy is limited, arsenic immoderate argue, past the situation for policymakers is not simply negotiation, but knowing the ideology that drives it.