For the Left-liberal intellectuals and the media Establishment, the uprising in Iran has raised awkward questions they would rather not face. First, there is the unresolved question of Iran’s Islamic identity that became the new normal after the overthrow of the Shah in 1980. At a time when large swathes of the Muslim world are aggressively positing their Islamic identity, the anti-regime protests in Iran seem a wonderful aberration. Iran is making the world go upside down and demolishing a multitude of certitudes. However, even if the regime survives after a bloodbath, it is only a matter of time before Iran rediscovers its true self.

Source: The Telegraph January 15, 2026 01:59 UTC