AhlulBayt News Agency: All exit routes for the United States are now closed. Trump believes he has succeeded by killing Khamenei; he is mistaken. In Shi’ism, martyrdom is the pillar of their life and religion.
Yesterday, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts returned from a classified briefing at the White House seeking clear explanations regarding the events in West Asia and how the U.S. intends to face them. Upon returning from that secret session, she recorded a short video in her office and posted it on platform X. In the video, Warren stated that it appears the United States—specifically Donald Trump—has no plan or exit strategy for this war, and what was thought to be a bad start for America is, in fact, much worse and more devastating.
The massacre of hundreds of primary school children in Minab, Iran, occurring simultaneously with the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, has sparked a regional war at this very moment. The U.S. and the Gulf nations are currently flailing. If this war continues, they will not only suffer losses; they will face total destruction.
A Chinese-Canadian Historian’s View on the Crisis
How does Professor Jiang Xueqin, the Chinese-Canadian historian who introduced the concept of "Predictive History," view the current situation? He utilizes the history of civilization and a geostrategy approach to read the future, and his 2024 prediction—that Donald Trump would return and a war would break out between the U.S.-Israel and Iran—seems to have come true.
How does he analyze the current state? I believe his findings more or less align with Elizabeth Warren’s statements; the U.S. has no way out after falling into this dangerous abyss.
According to Jiang, the Gulf states will collapse together. Bahrain, the UAE (Dubai-Abu Dhabi), Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia are all artificial countries, devoid of history and lacking an intellectual tradition, created by colonial powers. They are "artificial petro-states" built on sand. Their food and drinking water are sourced and imported from abroad. Dry deserts were transformed into condominiums and high-rise buildings inhabited by expatriates, while their few citizens possess no spirit for fighting or resistance. The entire labor force there is from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.
This situation is vastly different compared to Iran; a country that is not only vast but mountainous, possessing fertile lands, an ancient history, and a several-thousand-year-old civilization with a rich intellectual tradition. Iran is a "real" country. The majority of its people are Shia, whose fighting spirit is extraordinary. Economic sanctions do not paralyze them, as they are accustomed to hunger during Ramadan as Muslims; bombings do not defeat them, as they are Shias accustomed to being oppressed and killed, viewing martyrdom as their ultimate goal. Iran also controls the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route through which 20% of the world’s oil passes.
Weaponry and Economic Power
Iran’s military power is also invincible. Iranian drones are built cheaply; they lack ultra-sophisticated equipment due to economic sanctions. In contrast, a single American missile and its interceptor cost millions of dollars. It is said that Iran possesses over 450,000 drones and missiles, which they have been producing daily since the 1980s. Their weapons stockpiles are massive and inexhaustible. A hit from just one Iranian drone can throw the Gulf countries into chaos, disrupting fresh water supplies, the internet (and consequently banking), and certainly their airports. Even if it misses, it does not matter because it is cheap.
In Doha Airport alone, more than 8,000 people from around the world are stranded and cannot return home. Dubai is experiencing a similar situation. Regarding the economic future, investors will not return, and all the splendor and joy there will come to an end. Jiang also predicts the collapse of the region’s monarchies, which have been allies of imperialist powers for years. Bahrain, a fledgling country governed by immigrants, will fall because the majority of its indigenous population follows the Shia faith.
The Impact of the Assassination on the Shia and Sunni World
All followers of Imami Shi’ism are enraged because their "Rahbar" or spiritual leader, Khamenei, has been killed. The Shia school of thought differs from the Sunni; the Leader holds a political and spiritual position simultaneously. "Ash-Shahid" (The Martyr) Ali Khamenei was their jurisprudential and spiritual reference. We Sunnis do not have a single great leader, hence we are fragmented, but the Leader in Shi’ism plays a unifying role. By way of comparison, killing the Pope would certainly incite the wrath of the Vatican for the Catholic community; yet that is what has happened, and the entire Shia community worldwide is furious.
Wahhabi movements are aware that they too will drown in this game. Therefore, to save themselves, they have begun campaigning again to defame the Shia faith; observe how the "Takfir" (excommunication) campaigns against Shias have returned. They are working hard to create various slanders, claiming they once studied in Iran and that Iran hates the Ahlus Sunnah (Sunnis), and so on. This tactic is not only weak and pathetic but is even being mocked. Even "Mufti Menk," with 10 million followers on X, is being attacked for posting a motivational message about being envious of others' success—as if he is deaf and blind to what is happening to the Ummah.
Yet at the same time, many Sunnis, and even non-Muslims, are observing the influence and resoluteness of the Shias. They are becoming attracted to it, and even if these Sunnis do not convert to Shi’ism, this situation will lead to a sectarian unity that the West fears intensely. If Sunnis and Shias unite, the Zionist game will reach a dead end.
Another of Trump’s follies was his military bombing cities in Iran. The residents of these cities were the center of anti-Khamenei movements, and now they are being killed. Meanwhile, in rural and remote areas—the base and backbone of Khamenei’s support—loyalty remains steadfast and is spreading. Although Mossad and the CIA will incite Kurdish groups in Iran to create unrest, it remains difficult to achieve; they are merely like common flies that can be managed.
Decentralization of Power in Iran
Following the assassination of Khamenei, Iran immediately decentralized its power. Now, there are multiple authorities who can make decisions directly based on their faith. This process is difficult to stop. In a television interview, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that "the rice has turned to porridge" (the dye is cast). Khamenei’s martyrdom caused authority to be dispersed, which could be utilized by certain groups such as the military. A disciplined military that yearns for martyrdom will never retreat. There is no longer a political power or a single influential leader to hold back what needs to be done. In other words, the war will not end easily.
Iran's war strategy focuses on the production of drones and missiles. In contrast, the U.S. focuses on the advancement of its air force, as that is their standard method: bombing from afar, then moving in and taking control. In Iran, that will not be easily accomplished. The country is vast, and its people are brave. Since Khamenei was killed, millions of Iranians have taken to the squares and streets and are not returning home. Imagine our people taking to Merdeka Square in mass and refusing to go home. It appears as though they are welcoming death, but when done collectively, it is a challenge, a unity, and a resoluteness; and in war, initial fear is a defeat. But it seems the Iranian people do not fear, and that is a sign of victory.
Shah Mat (Checkmate)
There is a term in the game of chess: "Checkmate." It is used when a chess player successfully dominates the game and ends it. Not many people know that the term "Checkmate" originates from the Persian language: Shah Mat. Shah means King, and Mat means destroyed or vanished. Iranians love playing chess. They can sit for hours in parks playing. Chess is a game that requires high focus and patience, and Iran is accustomed to that.
All exit routes for the United States are closed. Trump thought he succeeded by killing Khamenei; he was wrong. In Shi’ism, martyrdom is a pillar of life and religion. Khamenei was 86 years old. All his companions were gone. He was worried about dying in a sickbed. He wanted to die exactly like this: fighting, a martyr.
And it became a great spectacle and an example. Through martyrdom, he does not die; rather, he lives on for several more centuries. Dollars flow throughout this war, and the U.S. thinks it will end soon. But they have forgotten that war is the art of chess, which requires endurance, not haste.
Shah Mat. Truly, Shah Mat.
Mohd Faizal Musa, better known as Faisal Tehrani, is one of Malaysia’s most prominent and prolific contemporary authors and thinkers. He serves as an Associate Professor at the National University of Malaysia (UKM) and is a Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. By choosing the pen name "Tehrani," he reflects his deep intellectual and emotional connection to Persian civilization, philosophy, and literature. In his numerous works—ranging from novels and plays to analytical essays—he re-evaluates Islamic history and social issues through a justice-oriented lens. His writing style, characterized by a bold fusion of religion with modern concepts of human rights and pluralism, has made him a leading intellectual figure in Southeast Asia.
Due to his explicit stances in defense of religious freedom and minority rights, he has always been a controversial figure in Malaysia’s political and religious landscape, and several of his works have been banned by the government on allegations of promoting deviant and Shia thoughts. Despite these pressures and censorship, Faisal Tehrani continues to be an influential columnist and geopolitical analyst for reputable media outlets. With a strategic gaze toward developments in the Islamic world—particularly in articulating the position of Iran and the resistance in the region—he represents a distinct and independent voice within the regional scholarly space.
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