By John Q. Hosedrinker 
In a recent interview, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran is engaged in a “total war” against the United States, Israel, and Europe, viewing the current conflict as more challenging than the Iran-Iraq War. Despite acknowledging significant economic pressures from sanctions and conflict, Pezeshkian asserted that Iran’s military is stronger than before the June war with Israel. He also outlined a 20-point economic plan to stabilize the economy and emphasized the need for unity and fiscal responsibility, although he has also downplayed his individual capacity to solve the nation’s economic woes.
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Iran’s president says the country is in the midst of a “total war” with the US, Israel, and Europe. My immediate reaction? Honestly, “Say what now?” It’s a bold claim, a very dramatic statement, and it raises a whole host of questions. First off, Europe? Really? Last time I checked, Europe is a continent, not a single monolithic entity. It’s a collection of diverse countries with their own agendas, and it seems a bit of a stretch to lump them all together as a single, unified enemy in a “total war.” Besides, didn’t I hear something about water shortages? Perhaps some introspection is in order, given the circumstances. It’s not like the Iranians haven’t been distracted with other things, especially with those military alliances they’ve developed.
If this supposed “total war” were actually happening, the reality on the ground would likely be drastically different. If Iran were genuinely engaged in a total war with the US, Israel, and Europe, the country’s existence would be seriously threatened. The consequences would be devastating. It’s hard to imagine Iran lasting long in such a scenario, frankly. I’m no military strategist, but even a cursory understanding of global power dynamics suggests that a “total war” would be an overwhelmingly asymmetrical conflict.
Considering how this situation seems to unfold, it’s fair to assume the current Iranian leadership is making this claim to distract their citizens. Their mismanagement has left many of the Iranian people without access to water, and now there’s a desperate need to shift the narrative. It’s a classic tactic: blame the outside world for domestic problems. It’s like when the Allies were throwing everything at trying to defeat Germany in WW2. If that were the case here, talking to the press would be a non-starter. This is, in essence, a distraction.
There’s also the question of what “total war” even means. Is it a misunderstanding of the term? A complete mobilization of resources? If the world were actually in “total war,” Iran wouldn’t be able to communicate this declaration to the media. It’s a term that implies a complete and utter commitment to a military objective, with all other considerations taking a backseat. This would mean that Iran is at war with more than 50 countries, and it also means that the country is ready to go to war, which would be on Iranian soil. And the people of Iran would suffer immensely.
In this context, it’s hard not to read this as bluster. The president is “scared,” perhaps. It’s important to remember that despots thrive on chaos and deflection. It’s much more likely that this is an attempt to rally support, to deflect from internal problems, and to portray Iran as a victim. It’s not something to be taken at face value. This is a very interesting point to consider.
As the US and allies try to help Ukraine, it’s not surprising that Russia would want to try and distract from that as much as possible. It is no surprise that Russia would want to encourage Iran to fight Israel, in the hopes that this distracts the West from their efforts in Ukraine. Unfortunately, Iran’s military is not what one would consider to be top-tier, and this is why they are losing wars. The outcome would be brutal.
If the US, Israel, and the nations of Europe were actually going all-in on a war with Iran, the conflict would likely be very short, and very decisive. This is, of course, a very controversial issue, and it’s certainly one that is being given a lot of attention. The President of Iran isn’t the only one saying things, however.
Let’s be honest: Iran has more pressing issues to contend with. The water situation alone is a crisis. And it’s hard to ignore their very active role in the use of drones in Ukraine. The Iranian theocracy doesn’t seem to care about what it has, only what it wants. This is the definition of mismanagement. And they’ve had little success with their previous attempts to provoke a war with Israel, and now they are losing the war of water.
In the end, it’s important to approach these kinds of statements with a healthy dose of skepticism. Consider the source, consider the context, and remember that hyperbole is often a tool used by those in power to control their narrative. It’s safe to say that a true “total war” would look very different from what’s being portrayed.