Policymakers have long sought the elusive “moderates” within Iran’s regime—a search that has yielded only unicorn-like fantasies.
The regime’s true nature, they argue, is the systematic destruction of everything Americans hold dear. This reality was underscored by Mike Pompeo, former U.S. congressman, CIA director, and secretary of state, who made remarks on social media on April 17, 2026.
As the conflict in Iran drags on—lasting longer than many initially anticipated—the understanding of its rationale has become increasingly murky.
The stakes are clear: nothing short of the total capitulation of Tehran’s theocrats will suffice as an acceptable outcome.
A compelling way to highlight these stakes is through the chilling parallels between Nazi Germany’s despotism in the 1930s and 1940s and Iran’s regime since the 1978-1979 Islamist Revolution.
Comparisons between Nazi Germany and Iran’s radical Islamist regime began almost immediately after Tehran’s Islamic revolution. Initially tentative, these comparisons grew more robust as the Iranian regime’s nature became clearer.
The most stark parallels emerge when juxtaposing two core pillars of each regime:
In Nazi Germany, the Schutzstaffel (SS) oversaw brutal repression; in Iran today, it is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
A cursory examination of these organizations reveals chilling similarities in their structure and function—despite decades separating them. Both regimes historically relied on:
(A.) A fusion of religion/ideology with race-based superiority (Germany) or Shi’a Islamist doctrine (Iran).
(B.) Mass mobilization through regime propaganda, organized rallies, and youth movements.
(C.) Powerful paramilitary loyalists: the SS and SA (Sturmabteilung or Stormtroopers) in Germany; the IRGC and Basij in Iran.
(D.) Demands for total, unswerving loyalty to the leader—whether the Führer or the Supreme Leader.
(E.) The establishment of parallel systems (state-within-a state) with greater allegiance to leaders than to the nation.
(F.) Separate armed forces: the Waffen SS and IRGC, which operated independently from conventional military structures—the Wehrmacht in Germany and the Artesh in Iran.
Both regimes created these paramilitary groups due to deep distrust in their conventional armed forces. The purpose? To prevent coups and ensure regime survival.
In summary, Nazi Germany and Iran’s Islamic regime share fundamental characteristics that underpin their similarities:
– Brutal totalitarianism with no regard for human rights
– Loyalty to the regime over the state
– Brutal suppression of dissent
– Reliance on parallel power structures
– Expansionist ambitions through proxies
Germany deployed allies in Vichy France and Mussolini’s Italy, puppet governments such as Croatia (including Bosnia), and auxiliary organizations across Central and Eastern Europe; while Iran has backed groups like the Houthi government in North Yemen, Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Kata’ib Hezbollah.
The most distinguishing factor between these regimes is their enmity toward Jews—a desire to eradicate them as an ethno-religious entity for Nazi Germany and as a sovereign political entity for Iran’s theocrats.
Critics of recent attacks on Iran have shown misplaced outrage, failing to recognize Tehran’s explicit intentions or the historical parallels that precipitated World War II.
This is particularly alarming when critics come from nations that have endured the ravages of tyranny.
Had Churchill’s warning about appeasing dictators been heeded, countless lives might have been spared.
Dr. Martin Sherman, a former Israeli defense official with seven years of operational experience and founder of the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), serves on the Habithonistim-Israel Defense & Security Forum (IDSF) research team and has participated in the Israel Victory Project.
