Iran declares victory in 12-day war with Israel and blames the demons

Iranian media outlets have declared victory over Israel. According to them, "Iran wouldn't even need nuclear weapons to eliminate the Zionist regime." "During the 12-day military campaign, we were already close to a strategic defeat of Israel," reported Iranian news channels, echoing claims made by political leaders.

This version of events does not appear to reflect reality. The destruction of Iran’s air defence systems, Israel’s complete air superiority over western and central Iran, and the elimination of nearly all of Iran’s top military leadership (estimated at between 20 and 30 high-ranking officials) do not look like a Tehran victory.

Moreover, Iran now stands on the brink of new deadly strikes and is almost defenceless against them, as it no longer controls its own airspace. This means Israel can bomb any target on Iranian territory with impunity.

In addition, Israel seemingly has access to information on the movements of senior Iranian security officials and nuclear scientists. This points to internal fractures within the system and the infiltration of individuals willing to cooperate with Israel at the highest levels of power, as well as signs of corruption reaching dangerous levels.

Above all, the military-technical and scientific superiority of the US-Israeli coalition proved decisive. Iran's retaliatory ballistic missile strikes on Israel managed to damage one oil refinery in Haifa, kill several dozen civilians, and possibly a few military personnel. The main suffering was borne by the civilian population. However, rather than outrage, the result was a rise in the approval ratings of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party – from 22% to 27% – which in itself strongly motivates him to launch further strikes against Iran.

A fragile ceasefire is currently in place. Israel’s ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, has given Iran time to strike a new nuclear deal with America — one that would require Tehran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons as well as any uranium enrichment processes, including those intended for civilian energy. In exchange, the U.S. has promised to lift economic sanctions and allow the Islamic Republic to sell its oil. Iran has refused. This means that Trump could at any moment give Israel the green light to resume airstrikes against Iran.

Israel is unlikely to halt further strikes on Iran’s defence and other strategic facilities — viewing the country as its primary military and geopolitical rival in the Middle East — especially as the U.S. continues to push it in that direction.

According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, the IDF intends to act in Iran in the same way it does in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip — by maintaining air superiority and eliminating threats (real or potential) at its discretion. In Israel, this tactic is referred to as “mowing the grass.”

At the very least, this weakens opponents. And in the event of complete success, it leads to a regime's collapse — as was the case in Syria with the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Israeli air forces bombed the country for years, steadily dismantling its defence systems, and eventually Assad and his allies weakened to the point that, in November–December 2024, the Syrian opposition was able to seize power in a rapid offensive.

Moreover, right now the United States and Israel, with mediation from the United Arab Emirates, are holding discussions with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa regarding a future operation in Lebanon aimed at destroying what was once Tehran’s main proxy in the Middle East — the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah.

What does Iran have left in the face of new waves of imminent Israeli airstrikes? It is estimated that the country may still possess around a thousand ballistic missiles. In addition, according to some U.S. and Israeli intelligence experts, Tehran has retained a number of uranium enrichment facilities and a quantity of uranium enriched to 60%. This material could, in relatively short order, be further enriched to 90% — weapons-grade level needed to produce nuclear warheads.

These experts believe that, in theory, Iran could attempt to produce several miniaturised nuclear devices. With such weapons in hand, the Islamic Republic could start threatening Israel with their use, demanding that it stop striking Iranian territory. Iran might resort to this option, having found itself — in the aftermath of its military defeat — facing an existential crisis, with Israel now posing a direct threat to the physical survival of the country’s leadership.

But will Iran’s rulers dare to take that step?

Amid the looming threat, Iranians are making some astonishing claims. Abdollah Ganji, former editor of Javan — a newspaper affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — told his 150,000 followers on X that a “strange phenomenon” occurred during the 12-day war. A senior Iranian official alleges that Israel employed “occult and supernatural spirits” during its conflict with Iran, according to a report published on July 11 by Iran International.

“After the recent war, several pieces of paper were found on the streets of Tehran containing talismans with Jewish symbols,” Ganji wrote. “During the first year of the Gaza war, there were also leaks suggesting that Netanyahu met with occult specialists.”

In this context, the Israeli outlet The Jerusalem Post recalled that several years ago Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed that hostile nations — specifically Western and Jewish intelligence agencies — were using occult sciences and jinn (supernatural entities) for espionage purposes.

Responding to Ganji’s post, the official Mossad account in Farsi wrote: “Using drugs and talking to the jinn [demons] are not desirable traits for someone leading a country.”

At the same time, Walid Gadban, political adviser to Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations, reposted Mossad’s message with a caption in Farsi: “Jinn, jinn — they’re everywhere.”