Imperial and Anti-Imperial Responses to the 12-Day Israel-Iran War

Abstract

Many self-identified Iranian leftists, who positioned themselves as dissidents of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) during the 12-Day Israel-Iran War, openly or tacitly aligned with the Iranian regime and emerged as guardians of the state’s “territorial integrity.” This paper investigates the complexities of this alignment, asking how one can justify siding with an oppressor when that oppressor is under attack. To address this paradox, the paper analyses the imperial and anti-imperial dynamics shaping responses to the 2025 Israel-Iran War, focusing on how segments of the Iranian left, once opposed to the IRI, came to support a state that has long oppressed them. It argues that this contradiction stems primarily, though not exclusively, from the methodological dualism identified by Sara Kermanian within postcolonial studies—specifically, the tension between imperialism and anti-imperialism, juxtaposed with nationalism. The regime has exploited this paradox, resulting in a shift from emphasizing Ummah (the transnational Muslim community) to a form of pre-Islamic Iranian nationalism. By providing a brief critical historical analysis of Israeli and Iranian nation-state building, the paper contends that neither state is immune from charges of imperialism. Furthermore, it examines the anti-imperial rhetoric of the IRI to illustrate how this rhetoric serves as a crucial instrument for obscuring its imperial Islamism. In doing so, this article contributes to contemporary Iranian politics and aims to offer an awakening critique to foster transnational solidarity among and between the peoples.