By: Nver Davtyan

Lessons to learn from Iran-Israel war

What did the Israeli-imposed war on Iran, which lasted exactly 11 days, teach us?

News ID: ۲۰۰۱۴۸۴

25 June 2025

Every ceasefire is an opportunity for peace—something essential to human life.

We live to learn; we learn to live rightly; we want to live rightly so that we don’t make mistakes. We avoid mistakes so we can fulfill our human duty—both before God and before the future generation.

History has shown several times that some Western countries, either after starting wars with Eastern countries or while implementing their policies, have faced problems because they failed to properly and accurately understand the internal capabilities of the East and comprehend the facts. Unlike the West, the East has this trait: what appears on the surface is not what exists in reality. Reality is hidden, like the inner strength of a human, which only reveals itself in motion.

This time was no different. But after 11 days of bloodshed—without even knowing whether we will see a lasting ceasefire or a ceasefire like the one with Lebanon, or one that merely gives the other side a chance to catch their breath and prepare for new provocations—there are still lessons to be learned.

For Iran, it was an opportunity to:

Prove that the Islamic Republic of Iran and its people are the inheritors of ancient Persia.

Show that the government enjoys public support and can properly assess its internal capabilities. The strongest army in the world is the people's army.

Learn from our history, which shows that any government lacking public support has not had a long future. We must always appreciate the people.

Let the people see and understand that the most important guarantee of a country’s and people's security lies in knowledge and science, patience, unity, and solidarity—not in foreign or domestic partisan political rhetoric. The real solution to internal issues lies inside the country.

Realize that by killing scientists, you don’t kill knowledge—because knowledge cannot die.

Understand that this war demonstrated that even in the 21st century, diplomacy and international law remain powerless without advanced military technology.

Recognize that people are truly known in emergency and abnormal conditions—and so are countries. This is how friends and enemies are distinguished.

Unfortunately, even in the Islamic world, there are still countries—especially newly-emerged and neighboring ones—whose national interests, economic benefits, and family-based governments are more important to them than Islamic brotherhood, honor, or neighborly loyalty. We don't know the reason. Maybe they still need to live in our neighborhood for another 2,000 or 3,000 years to understand the value of neighborliness. When a fire breaks out in your neighbor's house, you should go with a bucket of water—not with fighter jet fuel for your neighbor’s enemy. Because that fire will eventually reach your own home too.

Iran’s greatest achievement in the past 40 years has been reaching full independence and self-sufficiency.

For regional and neighboring countries, it was an opportunity to:

Clearly understand Iran’s true capability and serious policy, and use that knowledge properly in implementing their own policies.

Learn about the potential political behavior of certain regional countries in times of crisis.

Reconsider and rely on their own internal capabilities.

Realize that justice and access to it lie within ourselves—and it depends on how ready we are to resist for it.

Understand that life itself is resistance. Our birth is resistance; living is resistance; death is resistance.

And so is the pursuit of justice. Since 1915, we’ve been searching for justice—to condemn crimes committed in front of the “civilized world’s” eyes, and repeated again in Karabakh in 2023. Some cried, some issued written condemnations, some offered moral support—but the result was the same: nothing.

Maintaining lasting peace is the same. We must resist day and night to preserve peace. Peace has always been, and still is, at risk—because part of the world is “demonic.” Therefore, we must always remember the value of dignified peace and work to preserve it.

Ultimately, this region is our big home—and it too must be kept safe.

With hopes for lasting peace and the triumph of justice.

Nver Davtyan is a history expert at Orbeli Center/mehr