The recent article published by the American magazine The Atlantic, titled “In Iran, Anything Can Happen,” once again reflects the same biased and colonial gaze that the West has long held toward Iran and its people. 

In that piece, the authors attempt to depict Iran as a confused, isolated, and indecisive nation—one trapped among three grim choices: surrendering its independence, building a nuclear bomb, or accepting economic collapse. Yet this analysis relies less on the realities of modern Iran and more on the unfulfilled aspirations of powers that still cannot accept a nation in the heart of West Asia standing tall without reliance on the West.

Contrary to The Atlantic’s prejudiced narrative, Iran is not a land of crisis—it is a land of survival and creation. It is a country that, through four decades of sanctions, war, and pressure, has risen to become a regional power—one without whose presence no West Asian equation can be solved. Today, Iran is not a subject of Western foreign policy; it is a decisive actor in shaping a new global order—an order no longer revolving around the dollar and weaponry, but founded on independence, regional cooperation, and mutual trust among nations.

Sanctions that work, but only so much

The writers of The Atlantic mention the activation of the so-called “snapback mechanism” with a triumphant tone—as if Iran were about to experience economic pressure for the first time. But since the earliest years following the Revolution, the Iranian people have lived under some of the harshest sanctions in modern history. From trade bans in the 1980s to banking and oil sanctions in the 2010s, from Obama’s economic pressures to Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy—no other country has faced such diverse and multilayered restrictions.

Yet sanctions neither stopped Iran nor halted its development. Over the past decade, despite all limitations, Iran has made undeniable progress in scientific, technological, and industrial fields—even its critics reluctantly admit this.
Today, Iran ranks among the world’s top ten countries in drone technology; it holds global status in nuclear medicine, nanotechnology, and biotechnology; and it produces more than 95% of its pharmaceutical needs domestically. In the field of space technology, launch vehicles such as Simorgh and Qased have demonstrated Iran’s ability to develop orbital launch systems. In defense industries, the country has, within two decades, built indigenous long-range missile systems—technologies once monopolized by a handful of world powers.

Sanctions were meant to break Iran, but in reality, they became catalysts for self-sufficiency and innovation. This is the truth the West refuses to see: sanctions no longer work as before. Iran’s economy is shifting Eastward—through energy cooperation with Russia and China, trade with India and Indonesia, and its accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. These moves have freed Iran from the Western economic orbit and placed it on a new path of multilateral engagement.

These memberships are clear evidence that Iran is no longer isolated. In the same year that Western economies struggled with debt and inflation, Iran—despite pressure—recorded positive growth, and its non-oil exports exceeded $50 billion. The figures may appear modest, but their meaning is clear: Iran’s economy, despite all restrictions, is alive and evolving along an indigenous path.

Iran’s nuclear program

In The Atlantic’s analysis, Iran’s nuclear program is portrayed as a “source of crisis.” But what the authors deliberately ignore is that Iran’s nuclear program has, from the start, developed under the framework of the NPT and the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Not a single official IAEA report has ever indicated a military deviation; inspectors have repeatedly confirmed the peaceful nature of Iran’s activities.

Unlike many countries, Iran maintained cooperation with the Agency even at the height of external pressure. All of its nuclear facilities are under IAEA cameras, and Iran has accepted more surprise inspections than any other NPT member. Yet for the West, the issue has never truly been “the bomb.” The real issue is technological independence. A nation that enriches uranium without Washington’s permission is deemed a “threat,” even if its activities are entirely peaceful.
If the West were genuinely concerned about nuclear proliferation, why does it remain silent about Israel—a regime that possesses hundreds of nuclear warheads, is not an NPT member, and denies IAEA inspections? This double standard exposes the political nature of Western concerns more clearly than any argument.

Despite deep mistrust, Iran has repeatedly demonstrated goodwill. The signing of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was a clear symbol of this. Iran, despite skepticism, sat at the negotiating table and fulfilled all its obligations. The IAEA confirmed Iran’s full compliance in over ten consecutive reports. But in 2018, it was the United States that unilaterally withdrew from the deal, violating all its own commitments.

Even after this breach, Iran did not abandon diplomacy. On the eve of Israel’s twelve-day war against Iran, indirect talks between Tehran and Washington were still underway. At that very moment—when Iran sought a new agreement through dialogue—the Israeli regime, with U.S. logistical and intelligence backing, attacked Iranian soil. Is that a sign of sincerity in negotiation, or proof of the old mindset that “diplomacy only works when Iran concedes”?

Nevertheless, Iran did not close the path to talks even after those attacks—because it believes that stability in West Asia can only be achieved through diplomacy and mutual respect. The JCPOA taught us a clear lesson: the problem does not lie in Iran’s behavior, but in a policy that treats independence itself as a threat.

Iran’s defensive capabilities

In The Atlantic, the authors claim that Iran’s missile and drone capabilities can “wound but not win.” Yet if that were true, why does the West fear them so much? Why is restricting Iran’s defense power one of the main pillars of Western negotiation?

The answer is simple: Iran, through indigenous knowledge, has shattered the West’s military monopoly in the region.

Iran’s missile and drone technologies are the direct products of sanctions and isolation. When even the purchase of basic defense equipment was denied, Iranian engineers built an independent defense industry from within. Today, Iran stands among advanced nations—not only in ballistic missiles but also in combat drones, electronic warfare, and air-defense systems.

In the region’s proxy wars, this deterrent power has shifted the balance. Iran’s precision missile strikes on terrorist positions in Syria and its measured retaliation against U.S. forces at Ayn al-Asad demonstrated that Iran can respond decisively and proportionately when threatened. No regional power—not even Israel—dares to attack Iran directly, knowing the consequences would be disastrous. That is the true meaning of deterrence.

In today’s world, security cannot be bought; it must be built. Iran has not acquired its security through oil money or dependence on foreign powers—it has built it with the blood, knowledge, and resolve of its people. That is what enrages the West: a nation that has become powerful without their permission.

Iran and the new global order

One of the West’s greatest analytical errors is its insistence on viewing the world through the single-polar lens of the past. The reality today is entirely different: the world is moving toward multipolarity, and Iran stands at the center of this transformation. Iran’s accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS is not merely membership—it signifies a historic reorientation. The non-Western world is regaining confidence, and Iran is one of the pillars of this emerging order.

New transport corridors stretching north-south and east-west cannot be completed without passing through Iranian territory. China’s New Silk Road, India’s links to Russia, and energy routes to Europe all depend on Iran’s geography. This is why any instability in Iran directly impacts global energy and trade security. The West knows this—and that is precisely why it still clings to containment rather than constructive engagement.

But this policy is doomed to fail. The new world order is being built on voluntary cooperation and shared interests, not coercion and sanctions. Within this framework, Iran is not a “problem” but a natural bridge and partner for East Asia and West Asia. Regional powers—from China and Russia to India and Indonesia—now clearly understand that security and development cannot endure without Iran’s participation.

The truth the West fears

What The Atlantic ignores is not only Iran’s political reality but also the historic spirit of its people—a nation that has endured war, siege, and terror yet never bowed. Time and again, this nation has shown goodwill, sat at negotiation tables, and fulfilled its commitments. Each time, however, the West’s response has been betrayal and sanctions instead of respect.

Iran is not an enemy of peace—but it will never submit to domination. Tehran’s policy rests on two principles: resistance in the face of aggression and dialogue in the face of respect. Sanctions and threats may slow progress, but they cannot halt the future of a nation grounded in knowledge, faith, and identity.

The Atlantic’s article—an echo of the West’s old gaze toward Iran—may seek to portray the country as crisis-ridden. But the truth is different: Iran is a living, resilient, and thoughtful nation—a people who, through self-reliance and belief, have forged strength out of siege.

The world stands on the threshold of change, and Iran is not on the margins—it stands at its heart. Those who still view Iran through the walls of colonial mentality will eventually learn that truth cannot be sanctioned. The future belongs to nations that preserve their independence—and Iran is undoubtedly one of them.