I think many people, especially in the West, don’t understand how Iranians see suffering and death. In the West, suffering usually means something went wrong. If you’re suffering, you’re losing. If soldiers die in war, it’s seen as failure. But in Iranian culture, suffering isn’t something to avoid. It’s something noble.
That’s why Iranian commanders and soldiers aren’t afraid of dying. They don’t see death as defeat. Dying for a cause is seen as an honor. A martyr, or shahid, is remembered with pride. In the West, death in war is often seen as a tragedy. For many Iranians, it’s seen as something meaningful.
So when Western media shows Iranian fighters dying and says Iran is losing, they don’t get the point. Iranians don’t think suffering means they failed. They believe it’s part of reaching something greater.
This is also why Iran can survive sanctions and war better than anyone. Iranians grow up with poems, religion, and history that say a goal with no suffering isn’t worth much. Westerners might ask, “Why don’t they give up?” But for Iranians, suffering often means they are on the right path.
And that’s also why questions like “If Iran has more missiles, why aren’t they using them?” or “Why don’t they stop the airstrikes if they still have air defense?” miss the point. From a Western mindset, not responding immediately looks like weakness. But for Iranians, patience and sacrifice are part of the long game. Sometimes, bleeding without flinching sends a stronger message than firing a missile. It says: we are not afraid, and we’re not finished.
I’ll be honest, I got emotional watching all this. It’s hard not to react when you see blood and loss. But after calming down, I believe the Islamic Republic knows exactly what it’s doing. Or maybe I’m just coping. Either way, I’m trying to see the bigger picture, the one they’ve been playing all along.