Tehran uses ‘hybrid war’ narrative to justify repression and intimidate neighbors

Iranian activists say that the regime’s most persistent fear is domestic unrest and opposition forces.

By Mardo Soghom, Middle East Forum

Iran’s Intelligence Ministry issued a statement on May 27, 2026, portraying the current conflict with the United States and Israel as part of a continuous “hybrid war” waged against the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

The statement said that the United States, Israel, Britain, Europe, and Gulf Arab states long have sought to overthrow, partition, or weaken Iran through military attacks, coups, sanctions, ethnic unrest, terrorism, cyber warfare, and media operations.

The ministry framed recent fighting as the “third imposed war” against Iran and argued that despite the deaths of senior commanders, intelligence officials, scientists, and even the country’s supreme leader, the Islamic Republic has survived and emerged stronger.

It described the conflict as proof that Iran has become a major global power capable of resisting what it repeatedly called the “American-Zionist enemy.”

In accordance with the regime’s style of propaganda, the statement did not mention its own nuclear and missile programs, nor its vast efforts to build a proxy network, not only in the Middle East but also in Africa and beyond.

A theme of the statement was that military confrontation has shifted into a new phase of “soft war” and “cognitive warfare.”

The ministry warned that Iran’s enemies would increasingly focus on economic pressure, social unrest, ethnic and religious tensions, terrorism, sabotage, cyberattacks, and anti-government protests.

It specifically accused Persian-language media outlets abroad—including BBC Persian, Voice of America, and Iran International—of acting as tools of hostile intelligence services.

The statement alleged that foreign powers are smuggling weapons and Starlink devices into Iran and attempting to organize unrest around inflation, shortages, and economic problems.

It warned that any anti-government activity, cooperation with foreign media, protests deemed destabilizing, or contact with opposition groups would face prosecution by Iran’s intelligence and security apparatus.

This posture seeks to not only pressure the U.S. but also lay the groundwork for more repression at home.

Already, the regime has executed dozens of activists since its killing of tens of thousands in January. It routinely accuses protesting citizens of being foreign spies to justify death sentences.

Iranian activists say that the regime’s most persistent fear is domestic unrest and opposition forces.

Overall, the statement reflected the Islamic Republic’s narrative that Iran is under constant attack by foreign powers seeking regime change and national disintegration, while portraying the government and security forces as defenders of national unity and resistance.

Statements by President Donald Trump in recent days, expressing confidence in a deal with Tehran that would leave the nuclear, missile, and proxy issues unresolved, have emboldened the regime.

As indirect negotiations take place, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Navy reportedly tried to lay new mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking on May 27 in Moscow, Ali Bagheri-Kani, deputy chairman of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said that although indirect talks continue with Washington, the parties have not resolved the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran insists falls under its sovereignty.

He also said that stockpiles of enriched uranium are the subject of negotiations.

President Masoud Pezeshkian suggested that Iran’s attacks on Persian Gulf states hosting American military facilities had sent a warning to the region about the risks of aligning too closely with Washington.

Referring to Iran’s strikes, carried out since early March 2026, Pezeshkian said regional governments had now “understood that if they host U.S. bases, they will suffer severe damage.”

The remarks appeared aimed at deterring Gulf Arab states from supporting future U.S. military operations and at reinforcing Tehran’s narrative that American military presence brings instability and danger to the region, rather than protection.

Tehran’s broader objective appears to be the gradual decoupling of the wealthy Arab oil producers of the Persian Gulf from Washington’s security umbrella, allowing Iran to leverage its military capabilities to intimidate smaller neighboring states and expand its regional dominance.

Such a shift could carry far-reaching consequences for the global economy, potentially undermining the West’s secure access to Persian Gulf energy supplies and accelerating efforts by China and other powers to move oil and gas trade away from the dollar and toward alternative currencies such as the Chinese yuan.