The military conflict between Israel and Iran, known as the Twelve-Day War, marked a major strategic turning point by shattering the illusion of an Iran protected by its deterrence doctrine. This war exposed Tehran’s strategic isolation, weakened its network of regional proxies, and called into question its traditional diplomacy, symbolized by the metaphor of the carpet. The failure to mobilize its allies highlighted the regime’s growing solitude in the face of a new regional architecture dominated by Israel and backed by the United States. This conflict is part of a broader context of proxy empire, where major powers avoid direct intervention. Iran now faces the urgent need to redefine its strategy to remain relevant in a rapidly shifting Middle East.

The Iran–Israel conflict brought the war directly onto Iranian soil, shattering the regime’s façade of invulnerability.