When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 (Operation Al-Aqsa Flood) and massacred 1400 civilians and abducted 250, it later celebrated as if a project was completed and nothing more was to be done or expected. What was the next step, as the leadership of Hamas was backed morally and supported financially by Qatar and Iran, when they meticulously planned it for 16 years by spending billions of dollars?
To them, indeed, it looked like a milestone completed, and they thought a proportionate action would follow from Israel. But for outsiders, it looked like a death wish, knowing the history of Israel and the seriousness with which it values the lives of its citizens. For there was no way Israel, with its military and intelligence marvel backed by the most powerful country in the world, was going to take it lying down.
With almost all of the Gaza strip now devastated, and the top leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran eliminated, it’s evident to policymakers and geopolitical experts that the “Iran with its proxies gravely miscalculated their actions over the past two years.” Hamas likely did not anticipate the ferocity of Israel’s retaliation, which included over 40,000 Palestinian deaths (per Gaza Health Ministry, 2024) and widespread destruction. Past conflicts (e.g., 2008, 2014, 2021) saw intense but limited Israeli operations, possibly leading Hamas to expect a similar outcome.
It looks like an utterly foolish move by them, especially when Iran is still in the process of developing nuclear assets – deterrent. It would have been wiser for them to wait till they had nukes and gone after Israel when they thought they could finish it because that is what they mean when they openly declare “Death to Israel” along with death to America – the great Satan and the face of western decadence.
Geopolitical Rivalry and Palestinian Solidarity
To all the policymakers and geopolitical experts, the Middle East issue looks like Geopolitical Rivalry and Palestinian Solidarity or even Historical Grievances for each sect within Islam and the region itself. They consider Iran a leader of the “Islamic resistance” against Israel and the West and believe Iran is working its way to become a superpower in the Middle East with nuclear capabilities, but disregarding the loud and clear “Death to Israel.”
No recent articles (within the last year) from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, or any other major news agency or a think tank explicitly address Iran’s eschatological motives for targeting Israel. Their focus is on secular motives (e.g., nuclear threats, regional power dynamics) and overlooks the ideological and religious underpinnings of Iran’s policies, potentially underrepresenting the eschatological narrative that shapes the regime’s long-term goals. They prioritize strategic analysis, which may reflect a Western bias toward rational-actor models of state behaviour, side-lining Iran’s messianic ideology.
Even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frequently framed Iran’s threat in existential terms, though he rarely delves into eschatology. In a June 2025 statement, he described strikes on Iran as necessary to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.” While Al Jazeera frames Iran’s public narrative of resisting “Zionist aggression,” so does Iran.
The Roots of Anti-Israel sentiment
Pakistan-born Canadian anti-Islam activist Tarek Fatah often stated, “You can’t fight people whose lives begin after death.”
From an Islamic fundamentalist perspective, living under non-Muslim (Kafir) rule is considered Haram, thereby making the establishment of Islamic rule (Caliphate) through Jihad a life’s ambition. Furthermore, dying in this struggle for a caliphate is seen as highly desirable, offering both an escape from non-Muslim governance and divine rewards in Jannat. This is the only reason that explains the unprecedented miscalculation and foolish move not only by Hamas but the entire “Axis of Evil” and their actions against Israel.
Then one also wonders why only the Shia sect of Islam (baring the Sunni foot soldiers in Hamas) are the part of the “Axis of Evil” and why the Sunni sect is keeping themselves not only at bay but the countries like United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have agreed to sign the Abraham Accord and Saudi Arabia is warming up to it.
How Iran’s ruling ideology breeds anti-Israel sentiment
Iran’s ruling ideology is rooted in Twelver Shia Islam, which emphasizes the return of the Mahdi (a messianic figure). Some Iranian leaders frame Israel as an obstacle to this divine plan, viewing it as a Western-backed entity occupying Muslim lands, particularly Jerusalem (Al-Quds), a holy city in Islam. The Velayat-e Faqih, meaning “Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist,” is a political theory in Shia Islam propagated by Ayatollah Khomeini that advocates for the rule of a senior Islamic jurist (faqih) in the absence of the hidden Imam – Muhammad al-Mahdi.
And it is his return for which they are fighting, since he cannot return as long as a legitimate Jewish state exists either in the Middle East or anywhere else. Although the regime also sees Zionism as incompatible with Islamic governance and portrays Israel as a usurper of Palestinian rights, it ties this to religious duty to resist oppression (a concept called *mustaz’afin* vs. *mustakbirin*, or oppressed vs. oppressors).
Khomeini is often cited as saying Israel “must be wiped off the map,” a phrase attributed to him and later paraphrased by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005. Khomeini’s followers, including scholars like Masoud Aali, explicitly connect Israel’s annihilation to the Mahdi’s return. Aali stated, “Khomeini knew that Israel had to be annihilated for [the Hidden Imam] to appear,” suggesting that Israel’s existence is a barrier to the apocalyptic conditions needed for the Mahdi’s emergence.
Israel vs Iran: A Clash of Civilizations
In “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order” (1996), Samuel P. Huntington does not explicitly state that Iran aims to eradicate Israel on religious grounds because Iran was not a big player in the geopolitical event that time. Huntington’s book focused on post-Cold War conflicts arising from cultural and civilizational differences rather than ideological or religious motivations specific to individual states.
He discusses the Islamic world, including Iran, as part of a broader “Islamic civilization” that may clash with Western and other civilizations due to differing values, historical grievances, and geopolitical tensions. He frames Iran’s actions within a civilizational context, emphasizing its role in challenging Western dominance and fostering Islamic resurgence. For example, he discusses Iran’s support for groups like Hezbollah, which opposes Israel, but this is presented as part of geopolitical and civilizational rivalry rather than a purely religious crusade.
Yet, one can see an indirect hint at the future development foreseen by Huntington in the civilizational context. Yet, the world is detailing the Israel-Iran conflict’s military and political dimensions and misses the deeper ideological driver, potentially underestimating the conflagration and turning a blind eye to the explicitly stated religious motive behind the call for eradication of Israel (start with and then the West represented by Christianity) in accordance to their apocalyptic theology.
About the Author: Bholenath Vishwakarma is an environmental engineering and policy expert with a passion for literature and storytelling. He has published articles on literature, urban planning, and social issues in prominent national magazines and newspapers. His debut short story collection, set in the Columbia University campus and New York, is awaiting publication.
Note: The opinions in the article are those of the author alone and do not reflect the Editorial Line of ForPol.
