On February 28th, the U.S. and Israel carried out joint airstrikes on Iran, killing the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and many other top Iranian officials, which led to the war for regime change. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel, U.S. bases, and U.S. allies in the region such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Even with decades of harsh sanctioning and diplomatic isolation, the U.S. has not been able to subdue Iran. If we want to get to the bottom of the matter, we have to see beyond the usual military data and get to the most fundamental element of the Iranian state: the doctrine of Velayat-e-Faqih (Arabic wilāyah, from which Persian velāyat is derived) or Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist. Besides being a legal framework, this ideology acts as the main impediment to American dominance in West Asia, creating a structural and spiritual defiance that the U.S. has so far been unable to break down.
Under the ‘absolute authority of the jurist’ (Velayat-e Motlaqaye Faqih), the jurist/faqih has control over all public matters including governance of states, all religious affairs including the temporary suspension of religious obligations such as the salat (prayer) or hajj pilgrimage.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution was not merely a change in government. It was a total rejection of Western sociocultural norms. Under the Pahlavi dynasty, Iran was a primary conduit for Western influence. The architects of the revolution sought to systematically uproot imperialism and replace it with a system where no state decision could deviate from Islamic principles. At the heart of this transformation is the concept of Velayat-e Faqih. Traditionally, Shia theology held that a perfect Islamic government was impossible until the return of the 12th Imam. However, in the 1970s, Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini revolutionised this thought, arguing that in the absence of the Imam, the responsibility of governance must fall upon a Faqih, a supreme jurist expert in Islamic law.
Iran’s constitution sets up two layers of power. At the top is the Velayat-e-Faqih, who runs military, courts, and foreign affairs. He is not picked by voters but chosen by a group of religious scholars. Below, a president and parliament are elected by the people. Still, the guardian Council checks big decisions to make sure they follow religious law and stay away from Western influence. Even if a fair, minded president wins, the country’s fight against foreign power stays strong.
People in the U. S. Worry a lot about Velayat-e-Faqih. It’s not just about Iran. Many Shia groups around the world see the Vali-e-Faqih as a spiritual leader too. That has led to strong networks of armed groups. Like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hashd al-Shaabi in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen. These groups act like extensions of the religious leadership. So far, this trend keeps growing. It seems likely that global Shia influence will keep spreading under this system. These groups often prioritise the Fatwas or decrees of the Supreme Leader over their own national governments, creating a formidable bloc that directly threatens U.S. allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s model works as a real choice instead of just Western liberal democracy. It keeps a strong, tech-savvy government under religious leadership, showing the U. S. Claim that only Western modernisation brings stability might not be true. Washington feels uneasy because this could start similar ideas in other Muslim countries. Iran now acts like a global player, not just a religious one. By teaming up with Russia and China, its resisted U. S. Sanctions effectively. Iranian drones helped in Ukraine, and China has given satellite tech and missile parts. Joining BRICS and the shanghai Cooperation Organisation lets Iran skip the U. S. Dollar, which hurts Americas main economic power. Seems like Iran is gaining real influence without relying on western systems.
In the eyes of the Pentagon, Iran uses this ideological unity to wage a proxy war designed to squeeze U.S. influence out of the region. The Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and rocket strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq are seen as direct extensions of this doctrine. This is a calculated effort to prove that the U.S. can no longer guarantee regional security. As Washington weighs its options, ranging from fueling internal dissent to potential military strikes, the core of the problem remains ideological.
As long as the Velayat-e Faqih remains the cornerstone of Iranian sovereignty, the United States faces a rival that is not just a country but a self-sustaining, anti-imperialist system that refuses to play by Western rules.
The writer is the Senior Assistant Editor, Daily Times of Bangladesh
