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The Sword and the Shield: Why Iran Still Chooses Death Over Defense
The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 3, 2023. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
When Iran became the Islamic Republic in 1979, one of its first acts was to redesign the national flag. Gone was the Lion and Sun, an emblem with centuries of history. In its place appeared a stylized “Allah,” where one of the letters forms a sword.
Overnight, the regime declared to its people — and the world — that it was a state built not on protection, but on the threat of force.
That sword has defined the Islamic Republic ever since.
What does it represent? A warning to enemies? A tribute to the Prophet’s conquests? A nod to Imam Ali’s legendary double-edged blade, a symbol of both faith and ferocity? Whatever the interpretation, the message is unmistakable — power through offense, not defense.
And 46 years later, Iran still clings to the sword — while leaving its people without a shield.
We saw this contrast play out during the recent war, when Iran unleashed waves of ballistic missiles on Israel. The attacks were indiscriminate, designed to hit densely populated areas and rack up civilian casualties. If not for Israel’s layered missile defense — the Iron Dome, Arrow, David’s Sling, bomb shelters in the vast majority of civilian buildings — those strikes would have killed tens of thousands, or even more.
That’s the difference between a state that invests in defense and one that idolizes martyrdom. Israel’s national emblem is the Shield of David — a fitting symbol for a country that prioritizes civilian protection. Iran, by contrast, boasts a sword on its flag, and acts accordingly.
Iran’s rulers pour billions into missiles, drones, and proxy militias from Yemen, to Gaza, to Lebanon. They brag about offensive power. But what about defense? Where are the shelters, the warning systems, the plans to protect 85 million people from the wars their leaders keep inviting?
Iran insists that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. But before the recent war, the regime already had all the materials and uranium it could need for peaceful purposes. It also refused (and refuses) to accept civilian nuclear fuel from other nations. Combined with the regime’s obsession with “resistance,” martyrdom, and slogans like “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” the truth is clear: the atomic bomb is the ultimate sword.
Meanwhile, the shield is nowhere to be found. A country that regards nuclear enrichment as a national imperative is currently reeling from unprecedented water and electricity shortages, primarily caused by the government’s own mismanagement.
I grew up in Iran during the war with Iraq feeling unsafe and vulnerable. Back then, we told ourselves that the absence of bomb shelters was because the country was caught off guard. Saddam Hussein’s invasion came early in the regime’s life; maybe Iran wasn’t ready.
That excuse doesn’t work anymore. After four decades in power, Iran still has no civil defense strategy. It has built underground bunkers — but they are for its leadership, not for its people.
During the recent war, civilians relied on WhatsApp messages and satellite TV to figure out where missiles might land. The government issued vague instructions: go to mosques, schools, subway tunnels. But when civilians sought shelter, some were locked out. Some people in the shelters demanded bureaucratic permission slips — during an air raid. And when Iran cut its Internet access, people couldn’t get basic information about how to stay safe (despite warnings from Israel).
The regime not only failed to protect civilians from the Israeli strikes — but is going even further and entrenching that policy with new legislation that will interrupt Internet access during wartime to prevent the spread of “false information” that could benefit the enemy during military conflict. But that’s not the real story.
The legislation has been widely criticized because it will prevent civilians from accessing vital information regarding warnings and communications with their loved ones. Iran is putting its people in direct danger — because it values victory over their lives.
Evidently Iran’s leaders have a clear message: You’re on your own.
This isn’t incompetence. It’s a choice.
The Islamic Republic thrives on victimhood. It wants to be seen as besieged, heroic, and sacrificial. High civilian casualties aren’t a bug — they’re a feature. A bloodied population strengthens the regime’s narrative of resistance, and invites international sympathy.
So instead of building shelters, the regime builds slogans. Instead of enhancing their warning systems, it invests in propaganda.
When Iran changed its flag in 1979, it wasn’t just art — it was policy. The sword in the center declared that this state would not be a fortress, but a weapon. Four decades later, that choice still dictates strategy.
Iran could learn something from the country it calls its enemy. Israel’s greatest innovation isn’t its missiles — it’s its shields. Technology can save lives, but so can the decision to value life over death.
Until Iran makes that choice, its people will remain exposed — sacrificed on the altar of a regime that prizes the sword and martyrdom.
Born and raised in Iran, Marjan Keypour Greenblatt is a human rights advocate and an Iran analyst.
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US Links $1.9 Billion in State Disaster Funds to Israel Boycott Stance
A resident enters a FEMA’s improvised station to attend claims by local residents affected by floods following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Marion, North Carolina, US, Oct. 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US states and cities that boycott Israeli companies will be denied federal aid for natural disaster preparedness, the Trump administration has announced, tying routine federal funding to its political stance.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency stated in grant notices posted on Friday that states must follow its “terms and conditions.” Those conditions require they certify they will not sever “commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies” to qualify for funding.
The requirement applies to at least $1.9 billion that states rely on to cover search-and-rescue equipment, emergency manager salaries, and backup power systems among other expenses, according to 11 agency grant notices reviewed by Reuters.
The requirement is the Trump administration’s latest effort to use federal funding to promote its views on Israel.
The Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees FEMA, in April said that boycotting Israel is prohibited for states and cities receiving its grant funds.
FEMA separately said in July that US states will be required to spend part of their federal terrorism prevention funds on helping the government arrest migrants, an administration priority.
The Israel requirement takes aim at BDS, the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement designed to isolate the world’s lone Jewish state on the international stage as a step toward its eventual elimination.
“DHS will enforce all antidiscrimination laws and policies, including as it relates to the BDS movement, which is expressly grounded in antisemitism,” a spokesperson for Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement.
The requirement is largely symbolic. At least 34 states already have anti-BDS laws or policies, according to a University of Pennsylvania law journal. The BDS movement did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The American Jewish Committee supports the Trump administration’s policy, said Holly Huffnagle, the group’s director of antisemitism policy. The AJC is an advocacy group that supports Israel.
Under one of the grant notices posted on Friday, FEMA will require major cities to agree to the Israel policy to receive a cut of $553.5 million set aside to prevent terrorism in dense areas.
New York is due to receive $92.2 million from the program, the most of all the recipients. Allocations are based on the agency’s analysis of “relative risk of terrorism,” according to the notice.
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Iran Sets Up New Defense Council in Wake of War With Israel
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a meeting in Ilam, Iran, June 12, 2025. Photo: Iran’s Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iran‘s top security body approved the establishment of a National Defenxe Council on Sunday, according to state media, following a short air war with Israel in June that was Iran‘s most acute military challenge since the 1980s war with Iraq.
“The new defense body will review defense plans and enhance the capabilities of Iran‘s armed forces in a centralized manner,” the Supreme National Security Council‘s Secretariat was quoted as saying by state media.
The defense council will be chaired by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and consists of the heads of the three government branches, senior armed forces commanders, and relevant ministries.
On Sunday, the commander-in-chief of Iran‘s military, Amir Hatami, warned that threats from Israel persist and should not be underestimated.
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Israel to Decide Next Steps in Gaza After Ceasefire Talks Collapse
Smoke rises from Gaza as the sun sets, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet this week to decide on Israel‘s next steps in Gaza following the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas, with one senior Israeli source suggesting more force could be an option.
Last Saturday, during a visit to the country, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had said he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza.
But Israeli officials have also floated ideas including expanding the military offensive in Gaza and annexing parts of the shattered enclave.
The failed ceasefire talks in Doha had aimed to clinch agreements on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce, during which aid would be flown into Gaza and half of the hostages Hamas is holding would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.
After Netanyahu met Witkoff last Thursday, a senior Israeli official said that “an understanding was emerging between Washington and Israel,” of a need to shift from a truce to a comprehensive deal that would “release all the hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip,” – Israel‘s key conditions for ending the war.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday that the envoy’s visit was seen in Israel as “very significant.”
But later on Sunday, the Israeli official signaled that pursuit of a deal would be pointless, threatening more force: “An understanding is emerging that Hamas is not interested in a deal and therefore the prime minister is pushing to release the hostages while pressing for military defeat.”
“STRATEGIC CLARITY”
What a “military defeat” might mean, however, is up for debate within the Israeli leadership. Some Israeli officials have suggested that Israel might declare it was annexing parts of Gaza as a means to pressure the Palestinian terrorist group, which has ruled the enclave for nearly two decades.
Others, like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir want to see Israel impose military rule in Gaza before annexing it and re-establishing the Jewish settlements Israel evicted 20 years ago.
The Israeli military, which has pushed back at such ideas throughout the war, was expected on Tuesday to present alternatives that include extending into areas of Gaza where it has not yet operated, according to two defense officials.
While some in the political leadership are pushing for expanding the offensive, the military is concerned that doing so will endanger the 20 hostages who are still alive, the officials said.
Israeli Army Radio reported on Monday that military chief Eyal Zamir has become increasingly frustrated with what he describes as a lack of strategic clarity by the political leadership, concerned about being dragged into a war of attrition with Hamas terrorists.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report but said that the military has plans in store.
“We have different ways to fight the terror organization, and that’s what the army does,” Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said.
On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which included a call on Hamas to hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
Hamas has repeatedly said it won’t lay down arms. But it has told mediators it was willing to quit governance in Gaza for a non-partisan ruling body, according to three Hamas officials.
It insists that the post-war Gaza arrangement must be agreed upon among the Palestinians themselves and not dictated by foreign powers.
Israel‘s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar suggested on Monday that the gaps were still too wide to bridge.
“We would like to have all our hostages back. We would like to see the end of this war. We always prefer to get there by diplomatic means, if possible. But of course, the big question is, what will be the conditions for the end of the war?” he told journalists in Jerusalem.