“They Don’t Think Like We Think”
In an April 17, 2026 “Beyond the Ideological” Substack post, “The IRGC’s Eschatological Gamble and the Arab World’s Verdict,” Zineb Riboua explains some important realities about how the Iranian regime’s leadership – clerical and Revolutionary Guards – or what’s left of them think about the world and their role in it.
As U.S. negotiators head back to talks in Islamabad, Pakistan to engage yet again with their Iranian counterparts in what are likely the waning hours of a ceasefire agreement, it’s critical they understand that those sitting across the table (or the hallway?) from them don’t think as we do.
From the time of the 1979 Khomeini revolution in Iran, that regime has ruled according to an eschatological mindset distinctly different from the way most of the rest of the world thinks.
Iran’s clerical establishment, first led by self-appointed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and from 1989-2026 by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is suffused in beliefs oriented on Shi’ite Islam and the Twelfth Imam, whom they hold to be Islam’s messianic figure, the Mahdi.
In hiding or “occultation” since his disappearance in the 9th century, the Twelfth Imam is expected by them to return at the End of Times to usher in the Day of Judgment that is supposed to result in the slaughter or conversion to Islam of any remaining Christians and Jews and the triumph of Islam over the entire world.
The twist we must understand is that these Iranian regime “Twelvers” think they can hasten the return of the 12th Imam by literally instigating Armageddon on earth . . . as they drive for a deliverable nuclear weapon to make that happen.
This is why refusal to give up that quest is absolute for them, no matter what they may agree to or sign in talks with U.S. negotiators.
This is, after all, a regime that has violated every agreement it’s ever signed, from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Of course, as they would see it, Islamic Law (shariah) obligates faithful Muslims to lie to infidels when the objective to be achieved (jihad and destruction of the Jewish State of Israel) likewise is obligatory.
Clearly, this is a regime that must not be allowed to survive in any form whatsoever.
Importantly as well, we must understand that the people of Iran are not identifiable with these regime Twelvers and their nihilistic eschatological beliefs, but rather have risen up in protest against them time and time again over the last 47 years, only to be repeatedly crushed — most recently with the slaughter of as many as 50,000 or more Iranian civilian protesters in January 2026.
Prolonging engagement with any remnants of this regime means prolonging the 47 years of suffering the Iranian people already have endured.
As Harold Rhode and Dan Diker wrote in their April 19, 2026 piece, “The Iranian Regime’s Deceptive Negotiation Strategy: No Surprises,” these Iranians are past masters of deception and are especially adept at stringing along their Western interlocutors in long, drawn-out negotiations (which they see as evidence of our submission already).
It may be pointed out that the U.S. too may have reason to buy time to complete force 2 preparations for a return to kinetic operations as threatened by President Trump — but if so, such talks must not be allowed to drag on indefinitely as remnants of the Iranian regime seek to recover and regroup.
As we’ve seen, the Iranian side did not show up in Islamabad for additional talks, claiming that the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz must be ended before Iran will even agree to more talks.
Further, the Iranian regime flatly refuses to discuss its nuclear weapons program.
Meanwhile, there are indications emerging that the Iranian regime is splintering within.
The Islamabad negotiators led by Foreign Minister Amir Abbas Araghchi and Majles (parliament) Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are obviously not entirely in sync with the IRGC commanders — Ahmad Vahidi, Mohsen Reza’i, and Supreme National Security Council head Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, and others — who actually run the regime today.
Mideast expert David Wurmser recently colorfully described what is happening inside that regime as “a dance of the cobras,” likening these survivors to “mafia dons” circling the empty chair of the Supreme Leader, warily watching who will be the first to make a move the others can unite against.
Understanding and exacerbating such splits, if they do exist, should be part of the U.S. negotiating posture.
Our hopes remain with the Trump administration and envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff that, given their experiences dealing with these Iranian true believers over the last months, none will be deceived by their false postures of politeness and cooperation.
Understand that this Iranian regime’s own hopes for the fulfillment of their eschatological worldview cannot happen without a deliverable nuclear weapons program and the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel.
Even the loss of its regional proxies — Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis — is not viewed as devastating to prospects for Armageddon and return of the 12th Imam as relinquishing its nuclear weapons program and the ballistic missile delivery system it relies on would be.
Clare M. Lopez is the Founder/President of Lopez Liberty, and is a Newsmax blog site contributor. This article is cross-posted with the author’s permission from Newsmax.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Everybody is wasting their time. Problem is that there is no longer a single islamic “regime”: there are several factions vying for control. For instance, the statement by President Pezeshkian that he had met Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly (by Iran International) forced by the IRGC leadership, which took umbrage at him complaining about not being able to meet the supreme leader. They knew that that would invite uncomfortable questions about who’s really running the show, so they ordered him to do damage control. So he issued the statement claiming that he had actually met the supreme leader, and morons in the Western media just swallow it, and assume that it actually happened!
Just resume the secret arming of Iranian rebels against the IRGC/Basij, and resume the bombing of targets, be it the IRGC, Basij, the ayatollahs, the judiciary, the executive, the majlis,….. until it gets to the point where the Iranian people can take over
James Lincoln says
࿗Infidel࿘ says,
“Just resume the secret arming of Iranian rebels against the IRGC/Basij, and resume the bombing of targets, be it the IRGC, Basij, the ayatollahs, the judiciary, the executive, the majlis,….. until it gets to the point where the Iranian people can take over”
Yes, that’s what ultimately needs to be done.
Or this sore will be festering forever…
Troybeam says
Better said this way: destroy all known or questionable sites where Iran holds weapons etc.
destroy all caves within Iran, big job use big bombs: places where bombs and such can be kept, find those tunnels as well & do the same.
Find known sites for the leaders, mass bombing & that includes all Mosques because they are known as bomb storage and weapon cache’s.
lastly: oil storage units and oil fields: water storage units last.
Send Iran to the dark ages before electric power and inventions, let the people rebuild it they way they want it. The one thing the Iranian people must know: COMING TO AMERICA is off limits: no one enters but those that are here can leave to help rebuild.
Rick Gordon says
An excellent summary of the Iranian leadership today – and for the last two generations. They are separate from the majority of Iranian people – in my opinion.
Their beliefs lead them to lie, to delay, and to deceive anyone who negotiates with them. They must never get the bomb or the delivery system.
Walter Sieruk says
President Trump needs to heed and follow the instruction of Sun Tzu who is known the be the author of the book THE ART OF WAR in regarding any attempted so called “peace agreement negotiations” with those tyrants of that Islamic regime of Iran.
For in strategic manual of military wisdom instructs, “We cannot enter into an alliance with neighboring princes until we are acquainted with their designs.” To rephrase and update this information for this current situation in the Middle East with those lying dictators of Iran. It may be actually said, “We cannot enter into a genuine peace agreement alliance with those still in power in that Islamic regime until we know the schemes of their real intentions.”
It really should be more than obvious that the designs /schemes of those fiendish villains are.
Therefore, it’s amazing how President Trump can be so very naive as to think that he might be able to come to some of “deal” of any worth with those disingenuous and outright lying despots of that diabolical “mullah regime’ of Iran . They their fiendish treachery, are liars and will have no intention of keeping of the promises that they might make.. In other words, any agreement they sign their names to wouldn’t be worth the paper it’s written on . It would be a farce and hoax of a deal , Trump should know better than to trust them, in any way..
Walter Sieruk says
President Trump has terribly let the Iranian people down. After he promised to aid them in overthrowing that brutal cruel and murderous oppress tyrannical Islamic regime of Iran , ,and then establish a genuine ,legitimate government which ensure and respects the natural basic human right of it citizens. Therefore, this US President should now have two new nicknames which would fittingly treacherous. Trump. or promise breaking. liar Trump.
For a “ceasefire” with that hostile tyranny of Iran may lead to a “negotiated peace agreement” which would be both bogus and folly. As President Roosevelt, had so very wisely declared, “No compromise can end that conflict. There never has been—there never can be—successful compromise between good and evil. Only total victory can reward the champions of tolerance, and decency, and freedom, and faith.”
As for former of those two nicknames, Trump is treacherous to America ,for the one of that regime’s major themes is “Death to the USA” and it calls America “The Great Satan.” Likewise, his also treacherous to the State of Israel because that combative themes is “Death to Israel “and it call Israel “the little Satan.” The tragic and sad this of all is that this President is treacherous to the people of Iran by abandoning them to that oppressive vicious death inflecting “mullah tyranny” of Iran .
Those despots who are still in power in in that Islamic tyranny be engaging the Islamic doctrine of Taqiyya in in any “talks “ in the officials’ the Trump administration Tamiya is the teaching in Islam that speaking lies and deception are very good things to do if the lying deception is done for the advancement of Islam and its Sharia.
Therefore, the Iranian people are now swearing loyalty to that tyranny that is officially called “The Islamic Republic of Iran.” For it’s the human survival instinct since that agreed to hoax of a “ceasefire.” which even lead to a “peace agreement” with that Islamic tyranny is an affront and a disaster. The reason why this is so is because it would mean that that regime of Iran would continue to be a danger to American, to Israel and a further brutal cruel death inflecting tyrannical upon the people of Iran.
If all that isn’t terrible enough, the continued existence of that “mullah regime” of Iran will mean the those responsible for the unjust imprisonment and torture of the prisoner an the meaning and mass murder of so many Iranian patriots who only after a legitimate government that ensure the basic human rights of Its citizens. would escape with complete impunity for all the horrendous atrocities they viciously committed against the Iranian people.
Huh?!? says
The only concept Islam understands is one of force. The terror idea of blasting away with nuclear weapons to hasten the return of Allah is a goal to Islam. Trump has to make good on his promise to blast them back into the stone age.