It is almost impossible to grasp the true nature of the Iran-Israel conflict if you do not understand religion.

While analysts pontificate about geopolitics, military strategy, and nuclear ambitions, the conflict is not really about any of those things.

At the heart of what’s going on lies a deeply religious and ideological struggle – particularly from the Iranian side.

It’s important to understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not merely a nation-state. It is a theocratic regime founded on the belief that politics must serve a divine mission.

Return of the Mahdi and Annihilation of Israel

Central to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s mission is the Shia concept of wilayat al-faqih – clerical rule until the return of the Mahdi, also known as the twelfth Imam.

Iranian leaders believe that global injustice, including the existence of Israel, delays the Mahdi’s return.

When you understand that, you understand how the Iranians view Israel. Israel is not just a political enemy – it is a theological offence.

The Jewish state’s presence in what Iran considers Islamic lands is viewed as a religious desecration that must be dealt with before the Mahdi can be revealed.

If you’re thinking this makes Penny Wong’s calls for “dialogue” rather childish, you’d be spot on.

Negotiation is exceptionally difficult, bordering on impossible, since the conflict is not merely over borders, but over prophecy, purity, and divine destiny.

If you are ignorant, wilfully or otherwise, of the religious dimension to this conflict, then it is easy to misread Iran’s motivations as irrational or purely strategic.

But within its own religious worldview, Iran’s posture toward Israel is not just logical – it is sacred.

Without understanding that, any diplomatic approach is hopelessly naive.

In fact, without understanding religion, it is almost impossible to understand messages the Iranian and Israeli leadership are sending to each other.

Benjamin Netanyahu Refers to Cyrus the Great

Let’s start with the Israeli PM’s reference yesterday to the Persian King Cyrus the Great.

Benjamin Netanyahu made a speech broadcast to the Iranian population in which he said…

“Cyrus freed the Jews, and today the Jewish state might free the Persians. Not in the sense that we’re doing it for them. In the end, they have to rise up themselves, but we are creating the conditions. And that’s why it could be consequential.”

King Cyrus is renowned for liberating the Jews from Babylonian captivity in 539 BC.

Unlike previous rulers, Cyrus allowed conquered peoples to return to their homelands and practice their religions freely. He issued a decree permitting the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

This act earned him lasting praise in Jewish tradition; he is even referred to as the “anointed one” in the book of Isaiah.

The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
and disarm kings… (Isaiah 45:1)

So in June 2025, Israel’s PM is reminding Iranians of what one of their great leaders did more than 2500 years ago, and saying he is now returning the favour.

Netanyahu sees himself as a historic figure, repaying the kindness of a Persian lionised in the Bible.

He will precipitate the liberation of Iranians held in captivity by the Ayatollah, even as Cyrus precipitated the liberation of Jews held in captivity by the Babylonians.

Ayatollah of Iran Refers to Ali ibn Abi Talib

Meanwhile, the Ayatollah also released a statement yesterday.

On Twitter, he wrote, “the battle begins” and posted a picture showing a man walking into a fortress as streaks of fire light the sky.

The caption read: “All returns to Kybhar”

The statement is a reference to the first imam of Shia Islam who lived 600 years after Christ.

Ali ibn Abi Talib, a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad (work that one out) was supposedly miraculously healed of blindness so that he could fight the Jews in hand-to-hand combat.

He killed Jews and made those who remained subject to heavy taxes.

The Ayatollah claims to be the modern day equivalent.

The contrast, then, between Netanyahu and the Ayatollah is stark. One claims to be the modern day liberator. The other boasts of being a modern day killer and oppressor. Both use religious history to illustrate their intentions.

I say again, if you’re unfamiliar with religion, you’ll miss so much of what is really going on in this conflict.

And that, of course, explains the Albanese Government’s position.

Article by James Macpherson, 20th June 2025, Substack