The way Professor Mohammad Marandi described it, Iran didn’t just fire missiles — it changed the entire equation. He spoke while everything was still unfolding, but he was clear about one thing: Iran’s response wasn’t impulsive or theatrical. It was the result of months of U.S. and Israeli escalation that Tehran could no longer absorb without looking weak. “The Iranians had to retaliate,” he said in this interview with BreakThrough News. In his view, if Iran had held back again, it would’ve signaled to Washington and Tel Aviv that they could keep pushing with no consequences.
Marandi also tore into the Western media framing that immediately tried to paint Iran as the aggressor. He said that narrative only works if you erase the lead‑up — the assassinations, the strikes, the threats — and then pretend Iran woke up and chose chaos. And he warned that if Israel or the U.S. decide they can’t tolerate the fact that Iran just demonstrated real deterrence, the next phase won’t be limited to the region. It’ll hit global markets, shipping routes, and energy supplies in ways the West isn’t prepared for.
Israel doesn’t care if this happens — but will the US?
