Mehdi Unfiltered Civil War in Iran Would Be 'Tenfold as Deadly' as Syria, Journalist Explains
Mar 22, 2026
Anand Gopal, Middle East journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist who wrote Days of Love and Rage, discusses Syria’s messy democratic experiment in Manbij. He compares Syria and Iran, warns foreign interventions can deepen chaos, and explains why a civil war in Iran would be far more deadly and destabilizing. He also examines regional power plays and the long, uncertain path of political change.
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Why Manbij Mattered In Syria
- Anand Gopal chose Manbij because it overthrew Assad in 2012 and attempted to build democracy from scratch.
- The city's experiment offered a rare window into grassroots governance amid Syria's broader violent collapse.
Assad Fell Because Allies Failed Him
- Gopal calls Syria's fall a "perfect storm" of weakened outside backers and internal collapse rather than a straightforward rebel victory.
- He cites Hezbollah setbacks, Russia's focus on Ukraine, Iranian proxy weakening, and U.S. sanctions hollowing the regime.
External Powers Often Undermine Revolutions
- Foreign interventions in Syria pursued their own interests, fragmenting secular movements and empowering Islamist factions.
- Gopal warns Iranians now similarly view the U.S. and Israel as self-interested actors, not pure allies.
