Manoj Joshi's column: Geopolitics is not the only reason behind the ongoing war with Iran

One of the worrisome aspects of the ongoing war in the Middle East is that it is being presented in religious perspectives. This obscures the real geopolitical causes of the conflict, such as the balance of power, competition for resources and regional dominance. Religious symbols appear in the public statements of the leaders of all three countries — the US, Israel and Iran. Recently, a photo of Trump surfaced, in which he was seen praying with a group of pastors who came to the Oval Office. The clergy prayed for divine guidance and wisdom for the president, as well as prayed for the safety of the US armed forces. Leaders on both sides of the conflict refer to religious themes and urge their supporters to draw inspiration from symbols of history and culture. Many on both sides believe that God is with them and supports violence against their opponents. There is also a historical context to this kind of thinking—the Crusades, a series of wars fought between Christians and Muslims for control of Palestine. Religious symbols and references are nothing new in Israeli politics. Netanyahu has mentioned several times the biblical enemy Amalek, whom he associates with the inhabitants of Gaza. The Jewish scripture Torah calls for waging war against them. Formally, Israel is a secular and democratic state, established under UN General Assembly Resolution 181. But in recent years, right-wing parties have created an atmosphere as if the state was created by God's will. Some extremist politicians claim that Israel's border extended from the Nile to the Euphrates River—as described in the Bible. In August 2025, Netanyahu also said that he was deeply attached to the concept of a Greater Israel, which could include not only the Palestinian territories, but also parts of Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. His minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has indicated that Israel's expansion into Jordan and beyond to Iraq is pre-destined. Adding fuel to this fire has also been done by American right-wing leaders. Mike Huckabee, Israel's former ambassador to the US, said in an interview that there would be nothing wrong with Israel taking control of all of West Asia. The process of presenting the opposing side as evil is also clearly visible on the part of the American leadership. At a Pentagon press briefing, US Defense Department chief Pete Hegseth said that the Iranians, who are deluded by religious predictions, should not have nuclear weapons. Last week, Marco Rubio also said that Iran is being run by religious fanatics. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a U.S. watchdog, said it had received complaints that some officials told U.S. troops that war with Iran could lead to Armageddon or the End Times. Armageddon is the place where the final decisive battle between the powers of God and the forces of evil will take place, after which the end of the world will take place. At the same time, the End Times is called the period when the Anti-Christ will rise in the midst of global wars and natural disasters and eventually the return of Jesus Christ, who will defeat evil. In Iran too, there are beliefs associated with the end times. According to this, the twelfth Imam is in Gabat – that is, out of sight of the common people. They are believed to appear in the end times and struggle against the forces of evil. With their appearance, tyranny and injustice will end from the world, peace and justice will be established, and Islam will be resurrected. The circumstances of Ali Khamenei's death present him as a martyr. Iran has used his martyrdom to garner public support. Dissidents in the country are often accused of apostasy, while Trump and Netanyahu are called enemies of God. Such religious interpretations eliminate the scope for compromise and also erase the human form of the opposing side. History shows that when leaders present a conflict as a battle of good and evil driven by divine order, the political space for dialogue and the possibility of peace is greatly limited. Leaders on both sides of the conflict refer to religious themes and urge their supporters to draw inspiration from symbols of history and culture. Both sides believe that God is with them and against their opponents. (These are the author's own views)