For the first time since the war began, an Iranian reformist newspaper is warning of internal disintegration, according to a press review by the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security. The paper Sazandegi cautioned against a scenario in which armed power centers strengthen at the expense of state institutions, amid the economic crisis and erosion of public trust.
The Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security's Iran desk reviewed the Iranian press and found a rare reformist voice breaking from the dominant hardline narrative. The paper Sazandegi warned of 'Lebanonization' — a scenario where armed power centers grow stronger while state institutions weaken, echoing the Lebanese civil war dynamic. The warning comes as Iran faces compounding economic strain, infrastructure damage, and declining public trust after months of war. Meanwhile, conservative Iranian outlets continue to call for escalation and reject any renewal of negotiations. The gap between bellicose rhetoric and growing alarm over internal collapse has become a defining feature of Iranian discourse, the review concludes.
Source and signal
- Open-source intake