From Saddam Hussein to Israel: How Iran's wars have divided a nation - analysis

An analysis comparing Iran's response to the 1980 Iraqi invasion, which unified the nation, with its reaction to the 2025-2026 wars against Israel and the US, which exposed deep internal divisions. The article contrasts the rally-around-the-flag effect of Saddam's ground invasion with the fragmented response to aerial campaigns, citing protests, massacres, and graffiti thanking foreign leaders.

An analysis by Alex Winston examines how Iran's wars have alternately unified and divided the nation. The 1980 Iraqi invasion under Saddam Hussein, which involved ground forces and occupation, brought a fractured post-revolutionary Iran together, allowing Ayatollah Khomeini's regime to harness patriotism and consolidate power. In contrast, the 2025 and 2026 military campaigns by the United States and Israel, conducted overwhelmingly from the air against military and nuclear targets, have exposed deep internal fractures. The article notes that unlike the Iran-Iraq war, which saw Iranians from across the political spectrum rally to defend their territory, the recent strikes have produced footage of Iranians thanking foreign leaders. Graffiti in Karaj appealing to US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged during the January 2026 uprising, which left an estimated 40,000 people killed in two days. The analysis frames this shift as a consequence of nearly five decades of Islamic Republic rule, successive protest waves, economic deterioration, and brutal suppression of dissent.