Why the war on Iran could backfire on US regime-change goals

It's a war of attrition. It's also seen as a war of survival. This is an existential war from the viewpoint of the Iranian state. And, you know, for valid reasons, this came with the regime change slogan, with the assassination of top leaders. And so the Islamic Republic is fighting for survival. This is also a war on Iran and Iranians. The war opened with an attack on a school full of children by the United States, multiple attacks. After that, universities, hospitals, cultural heritage that has nothing to do with this government has been there for centuries. And so from the viewpoint of an average Iranian who may be opposed to the government and the status quo, and there's a lot of grievances, there's a lot of economic pressure. The isolation means real pain for ordinary people's lives. Inflation is high. The prices are just going up very rapidly. But from the viewpoint of an average Iranian, this is not just a war on the government. It's not just a surgical attack on leaders in the state or the nuclear program or the missile program. This is a war on Iran and Iranians. The U.S. president openly says he wants to wipe out the civilization. This is a war that can come to anybody's home or their children's school. And so it has actually led to a rally around the flag among the base of the government and increased nationalism among the broader public. So you may find a lot of Iranians who are opposed to the government, but they also have, they love their homeland. They love their country. They love their home. And when your home and your homeland is attacked, that external threat becomes the bigger threat. and the internal dynamic sort of takes hold or is on a pause.