Pumps

In the extraordinary series Tehran (Apple TV) we see all the horrific machinations the Israelis engage in to overthrow Iran's theocratic regime. The fiction is Israeli, and we might think it's a politically charged message aimed at the Iranian regime or people, exposing the immense failings of their government, which it largely is. But at the same time, what's revealed is the unscrupulousness of Israeli intelligence itself, the Mossad, the way it uses and abuses its agents, and the horrific and tragic excess of its methods to destroy a regime that wants to arm itself not only to dominate the region but also to devastate it.

It is a magnificent example of quality political cinema, which doesn't shy away from self-criticism or hide the fact that, through a disgustingly realistic fiction, it exposes all the miseries and abuses of a rotten, hypocritical, and corrupt regime (over which even the Iranians themselves are powerless when anyone tries to take action). A great Iranian-Jewish actor, Shaun Toub, brings to life the most astute scout in Iranian espionage, an actor and a character that are unforgettable.

Whatever form this fictional narrative takes (a classic spy thriller in the vein of the master Le Carré, or what Homeland once was) brings to the forefront the need to help the Iranian people, who are weary of a regime that can kill women for not wearing headscarves, or for demanding fair elections. For decades, the question of what to do with these kinds of dictatorships has been debated, and since the time of Bush and the Iraq War, it has become clear that overthrowing a dictator is not always the most elegant or effective way to establish democracy, nor to save innocent lives. Iraq is hardly a paradise now; despite having rid itself of that dictatorship, it has a corrupt democracy with a very low life expectancy. Trump may not have acted for noble reasons, and it is certain that any other Democratic president—male or female—would not have become involved in destabilizing an entire country in the Middle East, no matter how many abuses are committed. And while it is true that dissidents and exiles may be pleased by the elimination of their 'enemy', repression may become even stronger, and the escalation of violent reactions may be unstoppable.

I don't know—nobody knows—whether we're on the brink of a world war, or if it's already begun, or if it's just more of the same: skirmishes in the Middle East, wars, attacks, and changes of government, as has been the case since the end of the 20th century. The old European democracies don't know where they stand; the US is still driven by a redemptive spirit, and Islamic theocracies are arming terrorists, who will now feel even more emboldened to carry out attacks in the West. It's not common sense that governs the world, but the interests of elites who have too much to hide and who prefer apocalypse to accountability, whether in Washington or Tehran.