【What Trump Doesn't Know About Iran】Launching a war against Iran would be a great tragedy for both the U.S. and Iran.

Nétanyaḥu has his own agenda, which is beyond the scope of this discussion.

My university major was Iranian history, culture, and Persian language. After graduation, I worked as a journalist in Tehran for many years. Based on what I've learned from textbooks and firsthand observations, I feel confident saying that there's much more about Iran that Trump doesn’t know.

Iran is a nation of nearly 90 million people—not some remote little outpost like Bahrain.

For half a century, the world’s most powerful empire has tried to crush Iran through sanctions. Despite immense hardships, the Persians have endured.

Every year, Iran graduates over 230,000 engineers—more than the combined total of France and Germany.

The United States still lacks a universal healthcare system, while Iran has already established one covering nearly its entire population—from big cities to the most remote villages. Child vaccination rates are close to 100%. Life expectancy matches that of far wealthier nations.

They produce 97% of their own medicines.

During the mask era, they were excluded from Pfizer and similar supplies, so they developed their own vaccines independently.

Engineers reverse-engineered German gas turbines and now export them to Russia. The number of cars they produce exceeds that of Britain.

Iranians have launched their own satellites and built a national internet network to avoid complete dependence on external cables.

To understand why Iranians strive to "perfect themselves in isolation."

Their philosophy and way of life are rooted in a country that has been completely sealed off by the outside world—how to survive alone on this planet without compromising quality.

Iran is a nation that transforms isolation into innovation, sanctions into self-reliance, and pressure into scientific advancement.

They’ve prepared for a day of being relentlessly bombed by Trump for 47 years—while Trump thinks two missiles will collapse the enemy overnight.

Militarily, Iranians possess about 80% of the knowledge needed to build nuclear weapons—but they chose not to. One reason is principle: it was a religious ruling issued by Khamenei during his lifetime, a line that must not be crossed.

Another reason is survival wisdom. If Iran crosses the nuclear threshold, every coastal nation in the Persian Gulf would demand the same right.

Sometimes, choosing not to do something requires even greater wisdom than choosing to do it.

Iranians are not the image portrayed abroad—the Revolutionary Guard as “stinky and rigid.” They are principled and inclusive. Even during their own difficult times, they sheltered millions of Afghan refugees.

When I lived in Tehran, many cleaners were Afghans. I could communicate with them in Dari Persian, which differs slightly in accent from standard Persian. My Persian was fully understandable to them. Their speech was a bit harder for me to follow, but I could grasp and converse—it was just a small difference.

Cleaners may sound humble, yet they gave homeless Afghans jobs, allowing them to live with dignity on Iranian soil,

without begging or resorting to violence.

I never heard a single Afghan complain about their treatment in Iran. On the contrary, they expressed deep gratitude.

Principles also show in how Iranians once cut off oil supplies to apartheid-era South Africa, standing alongside Mandela.

When the world turned a blind eye, they provided arms and training personnel to Bosnians. Including legendary commanders like Soleimani, who gained fame not only in the Iran-Iraq War and later battles in Iraq and Syria, but also in Bosnia.

For decades, the West has painted Iran as a pure threat. Given that this is Western narrative, it’s not surprising.

I understand why many friends hold biases and misconceptions about Iran. Among Iranians, there are indeed many who are “exquisitely French,” “exquisitely German,” or “exquisitely American”—but “exquisitely Chinese” was unheard of before. However, things are clearly changing now.

Iran is far from perfect—and still very distant from perfection. But no country is flawless.

A nation enduring the greatest pressure still manages to provide its people with good education and quality healthcare, carrying forward under heavy burdens—this itself proves it is not a nation easily broken spiritually.

For Trump, winning the war he started is impossible. A direct conclusion: zero possibility.

This is a lesson worth studying—not a Persian story to be buried deep.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1872370855944203/

Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views.