RSS
Extending Shadows: The Peril of Khomeinism and Iran’s Quest for Regional Hegemony
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, next to a poster of the Aytaollah Khomeini. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
In an era where the Middle East grapples with the complexities of power dynamics, ideological strife, and the quest for stability, the recent declarations by Yahya Safavi, a key figure within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, cast a long shadow over the prospects for peace in the region.
Safavi’s pronouncement of Iran’s intention to extend its strategic depth by 5,000 kilometers to encompass the Mediterranean Sea is not just an ambitious strategic objective; it’s a testament to a broader, more insidious ideology that has been the cornerstone of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy since its inception — Khomeinism.
This ideology, named after its progenitor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, marries religious fervor with political power, advocating for the export of its revolutionary principles beyond Iran’s borders. Under this paradigm, the IRGC, a formidable military and political entity, has been the spearhead of Tehran’s efforts to assert its influence across the Middle East, often at the expense of regional security and stability.
Iran’s support for more than 11 major terrorist proxy groups across the Middle East is a clear manifestation of this ideology in action. By leveraging these groups, the Iranian regime aims not merely to spread a particular interpretation of Islam, but to reconfigure the geopolitical landscape in favor of a Shiite hegemony under Tehran’s aegis. This grand vision of establishing a Shiite empire, ostensibly to revitalize an Islamic Caliphate, is inherently expansionist, and aggressively challenges the status quo, pitting Iran against both regional powers and the broader international community.
Safavi’s remarks reveal a nuanced understanding and strategic approach to warfare, blending traditional military tactics with asymmetric warfare. The focus on strategic maritime and aerial points such as the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea suggests a deliberate plan to control vital international shipping lanes and airspace, posing a direct threat to global commerce and security. This ambition for maritime and aerial dominance underscores a readiness to engage in future conflicts that could have far-reaching consequences for international peace and stability.
The problematic nature of Khomeinism lies in its fusion of religious doctrine with statecraft, imbuing Iran’s regional ambitions with a sense of divine mandate. This not only justifies the regime’s actions in its eyes, but also complicates diplomatic engagements and conflict resolution efforts. The ideological indoctrination emphasized in institutions like the Imam Hossein University, where faith and loyalty to the revolutionary ideals of Khomeini and Khamenei are paramount, perpetuates a cycle of militancy and radicalism that is difficult to break.
This destructive ideology, with its roots in Khomeinism, represents a significant challenge to the international order. It not only fuels sectarian divides and proxy wars, but also emboldens Iran’s quest for regional dominance, often at the expense of human rights, democracy, and regional peace. The international community must recognize the profound implications of this ideology, which seeks to reshape the Middle East through a combination of religious zealotry and military might.
Addressing the challenges posed by Khomeinism requires a concerted international effort to contain Iran’s expansionist ambitions while fostering dialogue and reconciliation among the region’s diverse religious and ethnic groups. It is crucial to support avenues for peaceful resolution of conflicts, promote governance models that respect human rights and diversity, and counteract the spread of radical ideologies. Only through a collective and nuanced approach can the international community hope to mitigate the destabilizing effects of Khomeinism, and pave the way for a more stable and peaceful Middle East.
Erfan Fard is a counter-terrorism analyst and Middle East Studies researcher based in Washington, D.C. He focuses on Middle Eastern regional security affairs, with a particular emphasis on Iran, counter-terrorism, IRGC, MOIS, and ethnic conflicts in MENA. Erfan is a Jewish Kurd of Iran, and he is fluent in Persian, Kurdish, Arabic, and English. Follow him from this twitter account @EQFARD.
The post Extending Shadows: The Peril of Khomeinism and Iran’s Quest for Regional Hegemony first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
RSS
Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
RSS
Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.