Understanding Iran requires moving beyond conventional analytical frameworks, which have too often led to strategic misreadings of the country’s complex system. In this in-depth analysis published in the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, Iranian-French author and filmmaker Raghu Kondori offers a powerful metaphor: that of an “onion state,” made up of successive layers of power, in which visible institutions represent only one part of a far deeper architecture.
Iran: The Onion State
by
May 2026
Recent Articles
DANGEROUSLY IGNORED DIFFERENCES
DONALD TRUMP, “FRICTION” AND NUCLEAR WAR
DONALD TRUMP, “FRICTION” AND NUCLEAR WAR
“Friction is the difference between war on paper and war as it actually is.”Carl von Clausewitz, On War From the start of his war against Iran, US President Donald J. Trump has misunderstood nuclear war and nuclear deterrence. Conspicuously, he has assumed, without tangible evidence or sound logical argument, a direct correlation between the magnitude of his […]
The Unexpected Return of the Falkland Islands Question
In a world with no shortage of hotspots, the Falklands Islands have surprisingly reappeared as a point of international tension. Argentine President Javier Milei, who until recently had largely avoided raising this longstanding point of grievance, has returned to this rebarbative theme as his popularity wanes and he contemplates a tough campaign for reelection. Milei […]
From Containment to Regime Change: Israel’s New Strategic Logic?
The American-Israeli war against Iran launched in late February 2026 included an unusually ambitious objective. Beyond degrading Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, Israel and the United States devised a plan to topple the regime in Iran. According to media reports, this effort military pressure could lead to the collapse of the Islamic Republic, an influence […]
