Iran is not anti-imperialist. It is a state calculating survival

What the report says

Al Jazeera opinion writer Hossein Dabbagh argues that Iran’s leadership is driven less by ideology than by regime survival, even amid hostile rhetoric toward the United States and Israel. Published on 12 August 2026, the piece says the Islamic Republic’s anti-imperialist language is selective and should be understood as a political posture shaped by security interests, not a fixed refusal to negotiate.

The article points to the Iranian constitution, the concept of hefz-e nezam, and past episodes in which Tehran accepted compromise under pressure, including the 1988 ceasefire with Iraq and later contacts with Washington. It also cites the 2015 nuclear deal as evidence that negotiations can be framed by Iran as a way to protect national interests rather than as surrender. The core claim is that the state retains room to revise even strongly stated positions when its survival is at stake.

Dabbagh also places the argument in the context of the current US-Israel war on Iran, which he says has lasted more than five months. He notes recent statements from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denying direct talks with the US, while suggesting that a settlement remains possible if the leadership judges it beneficial. The article says this could include arrangements that reduce the chance of further conflict and ease economic pressure.

At the same time, the piece warns that any external deal would not automatically improve conditions inside Iran, where the state has reportedly intensified arrests, prosecutions and executions under wartime conditions. Overall, the analysis argues that Iran’s posture is best read as strategic calculation under strain rather than uncompromising anti-imperialism.