The US-Israel-Iran war has already begun to fight over "historical reserves."

Ask AI · Israel emphasizes the philosophy of “might first”—how does it affect the dynamics of the Middle East conflict?

The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran lasted 24 days. It wasn’t just a matter of weapons and ammunition, but also of who had deeper historical knowledge at their disposal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian recently shared a photo of a historical statue on social media. In the statue, an ancient Roman emperor is depicted kneeling before the Persian Empire emperor riding a horse. The caption explains that the statue is titled “Shapur I Defeats His Enemy.” Shapur I (reigned approximately 240–270 CE) was the second monarch of the Sasanian Empire of Persia. He once captured the Roman emperor Valerian. Amir-Abdollahian wrote alongside the image: “Our ancient civilizations have a 3,000-year history of resisting foreign invasions. Now, we are writing a new chapter in history.”

Without exception, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also mentioned historical figures in a recent press conference. He said, “Victory belongs to the side that is more ruthless and more powerful.” Netanyahu’s remarks have drawn criticism and condemnation from multiple quarters, but they reveal Israel’s survival philosophy: power determines everything. This principle guides Israel’s policy toward Iran.

The United States doesn’t have civilizations as historically long-standing as those in the Middle East, but President Trump also likes to play with “history references.” During a recent meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, when responding to a question from a Japanese reporter, Trump brought up the Pearl Harbor incident, saying that at the time Japan hadn’t informed the United States in advance, leaving Takaichi feeling quite awkward. Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Trump has repeatedly claimed that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is not Churchill and hasn’t given the United States enough support. In Trump’s view, the ideal U.S.-U.K. “special relationship” is one where Britain in the Churchill era unconditionally follows the United States.

Why have the three countries—the U.S., Israel, and Iran—talked about history in unison? There’s no mystery: they just want to provide spiritual nourishment and plausible explanations for their own actions. Iran wants to use history to show that it will never submit; Israel wants to justify its relentless bombardment; and the U.S. intends to break away from its current situation of isolation.

To a certain extent, invoking history reflects the current circumstances of the three countries. Iran is still resisting and wants to become the victorious side; Israel plans to keep speaking with strength; and the U.S. is wavering, trying to bring in more parties to lend support. As for how the conflict will ultimately unfold, it’s worth paying attention to what “historical reserves” each side is still willing to pull out.

Source: Workers’ Daily (工人日报) — Reporter Bi Zhenshan

Editor: Bi Zhenshan

Proofreader/Final review: Qiao Ran