The war in West Asia has brought into focus not only the geopolitics and geoeconomics of the region but also the internal political dynamics of Iran. The study of the state, political culture, and social structure remains central to understanding how strategies of war and peace are formulated across the world. In political science literature, we frequently encounter the adages “all politics is local” and “all geopolitics is local.” These suggest that native culture, economic conditions, and social structures significantly influence a state’s external behaviour. This article seeks to reflect on the internal dynamics of politics in Iran.

The study of political culture in any region or country is essential for understanding its people and their political behaviour. In textbook terms, political culture refers to the attitudes and beliefs about politics and governance shared by a group of people. Understanding political culture is crucial for comprehending how a political system functions and how the relationship between the state and its citizens evolves.

With the rise of the Safavid state in the 16th century and its declaration of Shi’ism as the official state doctrine, Shiite traditions and values became central to Iran’s cultural and social identity. It is widely acknowledged that Shiite worldview is shaped by the doctrinal belief in the emergence of Imam Mahdi. For over fourteen centuries, Shiite political culture has centred on the figure of Imam Hussein, whose martyrdom at the hands of external forces became a foundational narrative. Within this framework, the assassination of a supreme leader does not merely eliminate a political figure; it generates a powerful symbolic event capable of reinforcing the regime’s core identity. On March 1, 2026 the government of Iran officially declared that “the supreme leader Ali Khamenei drank the sweet, pure draft of martyrdom and joined the supreme........

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