In a powerful and sobering piece, Egyptian-born Christian pastor and author Dr. Michael Youssef warns that Iran’s nuclear ambitions go far beyond typical statecraft or strategic deterrence. Drawing on his personal experience growing up under Egypt’s military dictatorship and his decades of academic and theological research, Youssef argues that Iran’s leadership is driven by deep-rooted religious ideology that could make Cold War-style containment dangerously ineffective.
According to Youssef, the Cold War doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) worked because both sides feared total annihilation. But in Iran’s case, the country’s Twelver Shiite leadership views global chaos as a precursor to divine intervention. “Iran’s leaders have a religious incentive to launch Armageddon,” Youssef explains, citing their belief in the return of the hidden 12th Imam, or Mahdi, who will supposedly appear only after an apocalyptic clash between good and evil. This worldview, he suggests, makes Iranian clerics far more willing to risk catastrophic conflict than Cold War-era superpowers.
He also disputes Iran’s official denial of a nuclear weapons program, pointing to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s finding that Tehran possesses enough enriched uranium for multiple warheads. He links this with the Shiite doctrine of Taqiyya, which permits deception when dealing with enemies. “Iran’s Twelver Shiite clerics will never abandon their fanatical dream,” Youssef writes, warning that the West must take their intentions seriously.
But his concern doesn’t stop at Israel. He points to Iran’s development of long-range missiles through its space program, warning that Europe and North America are also in range. “The Iranian clerics have made their goal clear: ‘Death to Israel! Death to America!’” Youssef notes. Yet, his message is not one of animosity toward the Iranian people. “We only want the Iranian people to be free from theocratic oppression,” he says, expressing hope for future uprisings and democratic change.
