The article discusses Tehran’s recent embrace of pre-Islamic imagery and nationalism, a marked shift for a regime historically opposed to monarchism and secular nationalism. This includes using murals, patriotic songs, and symbols like the mythical archer Arash to connect with Iranian identity. Analysts interpret this shift as a sign of desperation following the failures of Khomeinism and Islamism as cohesive ideologies. Historian Arash Azizi notes that the regime is realizing the need to align with patriotic sentiments widely held by the population.
This change in tone, highlighted by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s invitation to perform a patriotic ballad at a mourning ceremony, aims to create political space amid ongoing discontent and recent military vulnerabilities exposed in a brief conflict with Israel. However, scholars like Professor Mehrzad Boroujerdi view the regime’s attempts as unlikely to succeed, as the Iranian population remains fundamentally nationalistic despite the state’s historical efforts to suppress pre-Islamic traditions. The situation reflects the regime’s struggle to balance its theocratic ideals with a resurgent sense of Iranian national identity.
