If you liked this Iran War you are going to love the next one

“The first group, they’re all dead. The second group they’re dead. A part of the third group is gone. And we’re dealing with people that I think are very rational people. I mean, they were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people. I think actually they’re smarter than the first and second group, but they’re not radicalized, and they’re… looking to help their country.”

-President Trump discussing the current leadership of Iran.

This is not true. The current leaders of Iran are, if anything, more dedicated to the Revolution than those killed in the recent war.

The most powerful man in Iran right now is Ahmad Vahidi. He is the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). One of his prior positions was as head of the IRGC Qods Force. Those are the guys who work with groups like Hezbollah worldwide to carry out terrorist attacks. There is an international arrest warrant out for Vahidi for his role in the 1994 attack on a Jewish Community Center in Argentina. That attack killed 85 people and wounded over 300.

“Guarding the Islamic Revolution is one of the greatest virtues in the world, and the greatest evil that has been committed is opposing the Islamic system.”

-Ahmad Vahidi December 2025

Vahidi’s whole life has been the Islamic Revolution. He is surrounded by men just like him. They do not think they are on the right side of history. They KNOW they are on the right side of history. ‘The Mahdi is coming. These are the end times. Victory is guaranteed.’

And now these men are emboldened by their perceived victory over the United States and Israel, and soon to be flush with cash. They aren’t going to use that money to build daycare centers and buy baby formula. They are going to rebuild, rearm, and move out smartly to set the whole Middle East on fire.

“The Ramadan War (Iran war with the U.S. and Israel) was the lesser jihad; from today, the greater jihad begins.”

Hassan Khomeini, a senior Iranian Shiite cleric and the grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, June 17, 2026

“Americans should know their place and avoid confronting the Muslims. Trump is trembling. The U.S. should fear not only Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, but many other locations as well.”

-IRGC Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani, June 17, 2026

The Iranians are going to generally comply with the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) long enough to string us along, get out from under sanctions, resume oil sales, and take on board the billions of dollars set to be paid for them. Then they are going to resume their war on the West, Israel, and Sunni Islam. Only this time, they are going to be loaded for bear, and they are going to be acting in even closer concert with our other enemies around the globe.

Tehran is not hiding these intentions. In fact, the Iranians have already announced they will use the money they stand to receive under the MOU to support Hezbollah in its fight with Israel.

Hezbollah, for its part, has made clear that it stands with Iran as closely as ever.

“We congratulate the Iranian people, the Resistance, and the countries and peoples of the region and the world, who yearn for independence and freedom on this great victory.”

-Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem, in a televised address broadcast from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, June 17, 2026

Muhammed Bagher, Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and one of the key negotiators of the MOU, said on Iranian state TV after the agreement was reached: “If we truly seek justice [for Khamenei], then that justice will be achieved through the liberation of Jerusalem…” “We must uphold that honor, remain committed to that vision, and carry out that mission.” Ghalibaf, often touted as a “moderate,” is himself a former senior officer in the IRGC. He was also deputy commander of the Basij. Those are the guys who handle internal security and just killed tens of thousands of protesters in the streets of Tehran and other major cities.

The Iranians will not be alone in this fight. They are already talking in terms of the realignment of power and influence on the planet, and they have reached out to two of their biggest supporters, Russia and China, regarding the way ahead.

Just days after announcing an agreement with the United States, Iranian officials visited Moscow to sign a deal to purchase 20 Russian helicopters for its “logistics and aerial rescue fleet,” Iranian state news wires announced on Wednesday. This is part of a broader effort to rebuild Iran’s fleet of aircraft. One suspects that these aircraft will have other uses besides delivering supplies or conducting Medevac flights.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation on Wednesday afternoon to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments. During the call, Araghchi detailed the provisions of the newly reached “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” for his Chinese counterpart. According to Iranian state media, he also expressed “optimism” that Iran and China could capitalize on the opportunities presented by the MOU to expand bilateral relations.

Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf, when he is not busy being Speaker of the Parliament, is also Iran’s special representative for China affairs. On Wednesday, he had this to say, “China is definitely unique to us. It is we who China must believe – and it will believe – that we are not just a customer or a trading partner, rather we are truly a partner with China in every sense of the word.”

For its part, China has said that its relationship with Iran will now deepen and expand.

Ghalibaf has also announced that Iran intends to assert its “control” over the Straits of Hormuz. “I know how to make the Americans understand. It is through the logic of power with which Iran now speaks. We will charge ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz after a 60-day ‘fee-free’ period, stipulated in the MoU with the US.”

None of this sounds like what you would expect from a nation that believes it just lost a war. It sounds like the Iranians believe they won.

“I do want to be recorded for history’s purposes, for I know what is going to happen with regards to this, if it goes through. Iran will immediately use the money it is receiving in sanctions relief to begin to build up its conventional capabilities. It will establish the most dominant military power in the region outside of the United States and it will raise the price of us operating in the region. They’re going to build anti-access capabilities, rockets capable of destroying our aircraft carriers and ships, continue to build these swift boats that are able to come on us, these fast boats that are able to swarm our naval assets, and they’ll make it harder and harder for U.S. troops to be in the region. “They’ll also work with other terrorist groups in the region to target American service men and women, and they may or may not deny that they’re involved but they will target us and raise the price of our presence in the Middle East until they hope to completely pull us out of that region. “They’ll also continue to build long-range missiles, missiles capable of reaching the United States. Those are not affected by this deal, and they’ll continue to build them as they have been doing.”

-Marco Rubio, Senate floor, September 2015

We have an MOU with the Iranians. For the time being, the fighting has stopped. Whether this intermission lasts days or months is unclear. What is clear is that Iran will press ahead with spreading the Islamic revolution and waging war on its neighbors. Try as we might, we will not be able to prevent our being drawn back into that conflict, this time against a much more formidable, capable foe.

If you liked this Iran war, you are going to love the next one. You can start the countdown to the next round of hostilities right now.

Originally posted by AND Magazine