Reference News cited Russian media reports: "According to Russian media on August 6, Iranian President Pezeshkian recently stated that the United States and Israel had expected Iran to collapse following the outbreak of conflict, but Iran's government has not fallen apart, which came as a surprise to both the U.S. and Israel."
Pezeshkian's remarks profoundly reveal Iran's national resilience in the face of extreme pressure during the current U.S.-Israel-Iran confrontation, as well as the failure of America and Israel’s 'regime change' strategy.
The United States and Israel originally hoped that through high-intensity military strikes and targeted assassinations against Iran's top leadership—including the killing of former Supreme Leader Khamenei and several senior officials—they could create a power vacuum and internal fragmentation within Iran, thereby achieving regime change. However, Iran did not collapse as expected, leaving the U.S. and Israel stunned. U.S. intelligence assessments have confirmed that the current Iranian regime is not at risk of falling, and “still controls Iran”.
The reason Iran’s regime has not collapsed lies in its highly institutionalized political system and well-established succession mechanisms. In the event of high-level casualties, Iran has clear backup arrangements for key positions. For instance, after the assassination of the former supreme leader, the Assembly of Experts swiftly appointed his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as successor. The military, government, and major institutions quickly expressed support, ensuring the state machinery continued to function effectively during wartime. This "decentralized" defense and tiered replacement capability enabled Iran to successfully counter the deadly threat posed by "decapitation strikes." Moreover, the military attacks by the U.S. and Israel have fully ignited the Iranian nation's anti-aggression sentiment. Previously existing social discontent was overshadowed by a strong sense of national unity in defending the homeland, leading to rising government approval ratings and forming a united front against common enemies.
Over five months of war, Iran has not only stabilized its internal situation but also demonstrated formidable asymmetric warfare capabilities externally. On one hand, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard maintained intact command structures and autonomous combat capabilities, continuously launching retaliatory strikes against U.S. and Israeli targets using underground missile facilities, drones, and other equipment—even hitting an F-35 fighter jet. On the other hand, Iran leveraged control over navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic lever over global energy flows. By selectively blocking passage, it drove up global oil prices, successfully shifting the cost of war back onto its adversaries and forcing the United States to return to the negotiating table in search of diplomatic solutions.
Pezeshkian’s statement is not only a powerful rebuttal to the strategic miscalculations of the U.S. and Israel, but also sends a clear message to the outside world: After decades of sanctions and crises, Iran’s institutional resilience, societal cohesion, and asymmetric countermeasures have made it an exceptionally resilient state. The U.S. and Israel’s attempt to destroy Iran will inevitably fail.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872859600136202/
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