Iran remains the strongest, most consistent force challenging US hegemony

By Nahid Poureisa

US President Donald Trump received his answer even before his letter reached Tehran. This is the kind of power discourse that Iran continues to generate as a major global power.

While much of the world is fearful of the new US administration, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stands out as a model for the global majority, demonstrating how to firmly reject imperialist bullying and threats.

Iran’s role continues to be critical. Unlike both Western-backed regimes and even other sovereign nations that negotiate out of fear, Iran does not seek "peace" on imperialist terms.

It does not extend one hand for diplomacy while submitting to economic blackmail and military threats with the other. The message is clear: real peace cannot be imposed or dictated by oppressors—it must be won by the oppressed.

No country has suffered from American imperialism as severely as Iran, making it both logical and necessary for Iranian leadership to work toward reducing the hardships of its people.

In 2015, President Hassan Rouhani mobilized society and ran his election campaign under the slogan of removing sanctions through diplomacy and engaging with the international community.

However, the so-called "honeymoon period" following the JCPOA agreement failed to bring tangible improvements to the daily lives of ordinary Iranians.

The government’s position at the time was that both the nuclear program and the economy should function together, and the way to achieve this was through an agreement with the West to lift sanctions.

This assumption that the West was reliable and would uphold its commitments was a serious miscalculation. Three years later, Trump took office and shattered the democratic façade of US policy toward Iran.

The hypocrisy was not on the agenda any more; white supremacy was being served raw and plain; no process or manipulation was needed. Unlike previous US administrations that framed their imperialist agenda with a thin layer of diplomacy, Trump abandoned pretense.

Previous administrations inflicted harm with a smile, masking their aggression behind rhetoric. Trump’s openly hostile approach made it harder for American hegemony to maintain its deception. But beneath both tactics, whether a handshake or a threat, the reality remained unchanged: white supremacy and violence, both in essence and in action.

At the time, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution warned the government of the time about its misplaced trust in the West and predicted the consequences of the deal.

Over the years, he has framed resistance from different perspectives, consistently exposing the imperialist nature of the enemy’s behavior. This reflects a fundamental aspect of Iran’s approach: the governments make decisions, while the Leader provides guidance on what best works for the sake of national sovereignty and interests.

Society, in turn, learns from experience—both domestically and internationally—adapting and growing through lessons.

A recent speech in a meeting with university students clarified the government’s direction. The Iranian people have already traveled this path, and the results they have witnessed firsthand cannot be denied. This is why the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated:

"If the purpose of negotiations is to lift the sanctions, negotiating with this US administration will not remove sanctions. It will make the sanctions even tighter and increase the pressure."

This reasoning is not speculation—it is drawn from lived experience, from decades of confrontation with US policies that have repeatedly proven their hostility toward Iran.

Real peace needs a revolutionary approach to dismantle the current global system and build a new one that lifts the oppressed, protects human rights, and brings dignity and well-being.

This kind of peace is not just about absence of war—it represents spirituality and beliefs that liberation is real and possible. In this way, Iran is the revolutionary force, and its ideas are shaping a new global order.

No country supports peace more than Iran and no one in Iran stands for peace more than its leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

"Had we wanted to build nuclear weapons, America could not have stopped us. The fact that we don’t have nuclear weapons and are not pursuing them is because we ourselves don’t want them for specific reasons," he remarked.

This statement highlights Iran’s approach to nuclear technology. Iran has already demonstrated its scientific and technological capabilities but has chosen not to develop nuclear weapons.

This decision is based on ideology, not weakness, even as both its enemies and allies possess such weapons. The Zionist entity, known for its aggressive actions, holds nuclear arms without any moral restraint. Yet, despite these circumstances, Iran has deliberately refrained from pursuing nuclear weapons—something it could achieve overnight if it wished.

These remarks illustrate Iran’s commitment to peace, surpassing any current global power.

And the commitment to peace requires power—a kind of power that forces the enemy to realize their miscalculation. In the current global order, where genocide is normalized and liberation is labeled as terrorism, the power of the oppressed is crucial for continuing the rightful fight and upholding the united front against war threats.

This is exactly what the leader emphasized in the meeting: “If the Americans or their agents make a wrong move, they will suffer more damage than anyone else.”

This pioneering approach is what the Leader of the Islamic Revolution possesses and teaches other leaders across the world to adopt. The enemy must be taught a lesson—to suffer the consequences of their own brutality—so that such miscalculations do not happen again.

This is the power discourse that pushes back hostility while safeguarding peace and Iran’s integrity at the same time.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution has always made it clear that revolutionary Islamic principles—equality, dignity, and justice—are not against practical governance. Iran has proved that these values can guide a country without surrendering to imperialist powers.

In Iran, despite the global false norm, pragmatism is compatible with ideology, and focusing only on power and material interests is not considered the righteous strategy.

Iran is a unique example of a country that can grow and succeed while still keeping its moral values. It challenges the idea that we must give up ideals to get real results. Instead, Iran shows that revolutionary values can lead to real actions that make people’s lives better.

So, what is the solution for the Iranian people to endure less hardship and live the economically advanced life they deserve while preserving national dignity?

The answer has been provided over time: a resilient economy that relies on its own people and objectives instead of having hope in the enemy.

Faith in the enemy must be replaced with faith in ourselves, strengthening ties with our neighbors and allies to neutralize the impact of sanctions. The goal is not just to resist but to make sanctions ineffective, ensuring they cannot break us.

This is only possible if Iran’s economy is built on the understanding that sanctions are permanent, but we must become stronger than the sanctions themselves. This requires developing indigenous power and independent technology that is self-sufficient.

The failure of sanctions must be embedded into Iran’s governance model so that the enemy—not the Iranian people—bears the consequences of its maximum pressure campaign.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has remained committed to its principles, prioritizing the dignity of its people over external pressures—including the harshest imperialist sanctions.

While many countries fear the consequences of standing up to the US and its allies, Iran has remained steadfast.

And now, with Donald Trump back in the administration, the chaos is even more apparent. Even Washington’s closest allies are unsettled, unsure how to handle a president who refuses to maintain the illusion of a united Western coalition, because that coalition does not exist.

The decline of US imperialism is an undeniable and critically important fact that must be integrated into the world view of the Global South, and Iran’s resistance has played a decisive role in exposing this reality and revealing the true nature of the enemy by educating the global majority that the US wants to "deceive the world public opinion." (Last speech of Leader).

The cracks are widening—not only in Washington’s control over the Global South but also within the Western alliance itself. Iran may not be solely responsible for the fall of US hegemony, but it remains the strongest, most consistent force challenging it.

And that is why Iran is the heart of the global revolution.

Nahid Poureisa is an Iranian analyst and academic researcher focused on West Asia and China.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV.)

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