As Israel and America strategically overcome the military infrastructure and command centers of Iran three weeks into the war, a full scale revolt is expected to begin in Iran as soon as the Israeli and American attack ends. 

Iran is an existential danger to Israel, especially because Iranian leaders have made threatening statements while backing terror groups like Hezbollah. The United States has also opposed Iran’s regional influence, seeking to diminish its military reach and prevent nuclear aggression. 

Though my friend, the Nameless One admits that he’s not an expert on Iran, he does have an optimal viewpoint from within Israel where he struggles to believe that a western style democracy will emerge from the ruins.

He explains, “The Zoroastrian mentality that rolled into the Shiite Islam dominates Iran and is dualistic in its nature: good versus evil – all the way to the bitter end.”

To unpack his statement, Zoroastrianism was founded by the prophet Zarathustra who is also known as Zoroaster, more than three thousand years ago. A central idea in Zoroastrian belief is the ongoing struggle between good and evil, often understood as a conflict between truth and falsehood. 

Zoroastrianism is a long past religion, but it still exists in modern Iran, though its followers make up only a small minority. Communities remain active in places like Yazd and Kerman, maintaining a strong sense of cultural identity. Even with its reduced numbers, the religion has endured by holding onto its original teachings about moral choice, the importance........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)