Iran’s ruling clerics believe the ayatollah serves as the earthly deputy of the Hidden Imam, tasked with preparing the world for the return of the messianic figure of prophecy, Muhammad al-Mahdi, through the expansion of an Islamic state. In this framework, political power and conflict are religious obligations tied to triggering an apocalyptic end-times event. Western policymakers and political pundits mistakenly interpret Iran’s relationships with the rest of the globe, particularly the United States and Israel, as well as with the broader Islamic world, through the lens of the Shia–Sunni divide. However, the reality of Iran’s theocracy is far more complex and far more sinister than that. The Islamic Republic’s ruling theology is not mainstream Twelver Shia Islam. Twelver Shia Islam, followed by roughly 85…
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