Martyrdom: The secret shield protecting Iran from collapse

Iran’s strength lies in belief—martyrdom turns suffering into power, making war strengthen resolve instead of breaking the system from within

Written By : Girish Linganna
Updated: Mar 30, 2026 12:21 IST

Highlights

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Understanding Iran's Resilience Amidst Conflict

• Iran's identity is deeply rooted in Shia Islam, specifically the 1,400-year-old story of Imam Hussein's sacrifice at Karbala in 680 AD.
• Shia belief teaches that suffering and dying for what is right is not defeat but a victory, a concept the Iranian government has used since 1979.
• External attacks, such as missile strikes and leader killings, can inadvertently strengthen the Islamic Republic's narrative by validating its claims of oppression.

Impact of External Pressure

• Demands for 'unconditional surrender' from the US, like those made by Donald Trump, are perceived by Iran as attempts to humiliate and erase them, turning even doubtful Iranians into defenders.

There is a war happening right now — America and Israel are attacking Iran with missiles, bombs, and strikes. Leaders have been killed. Buildings have been destroyed. And yet, something strange is happening. Instead of breaking down, many people inside Iran seem to be holding on even tighter to their beliefs. To understand why, we do not need to study military maps. We need to understand something much deeper — the power of faith, sacrifice, and what people believe they are fighting for.

This is the part that most news channels never explain to us.

Iran is not just a country under attack. It is a country whose entire identity is built on a very specific religious belief — Shia Islam. And at the heart of this belief is a story that is 1,400 years old. In the year 680 AD, at a place called Karbala, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad — Imam Hussein — was surrounded by a massive army. He had only a small group with him. He knew he would die. He fought anyway. He was killed. And that sacrifice became the most powerful story in all of Shia history.

Why does this matter today? Because Shia belief teaches something very different from what we normally think about winning and losing. It teaches that suffering is not defeat. It teaches that dying for what is right is not a loss — it is a victory of a different kind. It teaches that the oppressor may win the battle, but the one who sacrifices becomes immortal.

The Iranian government — called the Islamic Republic — has used this belief as its foundation since 1979. It has told its people for decades that they are like Hussein, surrounded by powerful enemies. America is the oppressor. Israel is the aggressor. And Iran is the brave few, resisting against all odds.
Now here is the dangerous part that most people miss.

When America bombs Iran, when leaders are killed during the holy month of Ramadan, when mourning ceremonies are held every night even as bombs are falling — this does not weaken the Islamic Republic’s story. It actually makes the story stronger. Every bomb that falls becomes proof, in the eyes of believers, that they are indeed being oppressed. Every martyr becomes a symbol. Every attack becomes a reason to hold on.

Think of it this way. If someone is trying to prove they are being bullied, and then someone actually bullies them in public — their point is made even more powerfully. That is exactly what is happening here.

This does not mean every Iranian believes this. Many people inside Iran are tired. They are frustrated with corruption, with poverty, with strict control over their daily lives. Many young Iranians have already stopped believing in the government’s religious narrative. But here is the truth — a system like this does not need everyone to believe. It only needs enough loyal supporters, enough fear, and enough of an outside enemy to blame. And war gives it all three at once.

US President Donald Trump made things worse when he demanded “unconditional surrender” from Iran. These two words were a gift to the Islamic Republic. Because now it can tell its people — see, they don’t want to negotiate, they want to humiliate us, they want to erase us. That kind of message turns even doubtful Iranians into defenders.

In normal wars, overwhelming military force breaks the enemy’s will to fight. But in a war against a system that is built on the idea that suffering itself is sacred — the rules change completely. Destroying buildings and killing leaders can be done with missiles. But you cannot bomb a belief out of existence. You cannot airstrike a story that people have carried in their hearts for 1,400 years.

This is the tragedy of fighting what experts call ideological states. The more you attack them from the outside, the easier it becomes for them to revive the very ideas that keep them powerful from within.

None of this means we should ignore the harsh realities of the Islamic Republic — a government that has jailed protesters, silenced women, and sent young men to die while calling it faith. That cruelty is real and must be called out. But criticising it honestly requires understanding it clearly first.

The war on Iran may damage roads, missiles, and buildings. But as long as the story of Karbala lives in people’s hearts — as long as suffering can be turned into sacred meaning — the Islamic Republic will claim it is not defeated.

That is perhaps the most difficult truth of this entire conflict. Some wars are fought with guns. And some are fought with stories. And the most dangerous enemy is the one who believes that losing is also a kind of winning.

(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own and do not reflect those of News24)


First published on: Mar 30, 2026 12:21 PM IST


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