The Moral Paralysis Facing Iranians Right Now
Last week, when bombs were falling over Iran, I saw a post on social media that posed a harrowing question to Iranians: Would you rather have a stranger kill your abusive father, or have him continue to live and abuse your family?
While the question is hypothetical, the post struck me as a painfully precise metaphor for the anguish Iranians are enduring following recent attacks from Israel and the United States.
I, like so many other Iranians, am caught in the devastating paradox of this moment: witnessing a hated internal oppressor — a regime in which people can be killed because of what they wear and what they believe — being attacked by a reviled external aggressor, a state engaged in a campaign of devastating and indiscriminate violence against the population of Gaza.
Now, as the fragile cease-fire between Iran and Israel holds, Iranians are crushed by the emotional weight of pondering the future of their country. Many, like me, have been gripped by a moral paralysis: a schadenfreude at the death of a brutal Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander curdling into grief for the innocent lives lost, and rage that a hostile foreign power would terrorize millions and kill hundreds in Iran to achieve its aim.
I grew up in Iran during the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war, a brutal conflict that landed in a nation already scarred by a century of foreign intervention, most notably the 1953 C.I.A.-backed coup. During those years, I experienced how the Islamic Republic weaponized morality to justify continuing the war while simultaneously inflicting fear and violence on its own people. This formative experience has guided my 15-year career as a scholar of moral psychology, investigating how our most sacred values can paradoxically lead us to intractable conflict and hate.
In this moment of deep uncertainty for my country, my studies of the dark side of human morality have helped me make sense of the fraught moral calculations of a nation.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
42 minutes ago
- Fox News
Trump does UN's job on world stage, leads on peace while secretary-general earns more at anti-US body
Following President Donald Trump's successful brokering of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, critics say the U.N. secretary-general, António Guterres, could do well to follow Trump's lead as a peacemaker. However, as American taxpayers still continue to pay billions to the United Nations, and while Trump outshines Guterres on the world stage, Guterres' base salary is more than the commander in chief's. At $418,348, Guterres earns a higher base salary than President Donald Trump while running a body accused of anti-American bias, corruption and waste. Hugh Dugan, former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for International Organization Affairs, told Fox News Digital, "Frankly, we put [Guterres] on this plateau as being on par with a pope or head of state, when, in fact, he's really an employee, and he's the country club manager, not the father of the bride, but he's calling all the shots when it comes to the ceremony and who sits where. "You flatter him right away," Dugan said, when comparing Guterres with Trump, "when in fact he is one of the president's employees – in fact, the employee of all the heads of state. And to outearn [him]… is really indicative of managerial capture of the organization and of the Deep State U.N. on the books." The spotlight on the salaries and perks comes at a time when the world body is facing serious financial constraints. Not including expenses and extras, Trump receives some $18,348 less than Guterres at $400,000. The presidential extras include a $50,000 expense allowance and other benefits. Guterres' salary, provided to Fox News Digital by his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, only includes his salary and multiplier. It does not include the considerable array of other benefits that Guterres enjoys. In an email to Fox News Digital, Dujarric said the "Net base salary as of Jan 2025 – $238,375 per year (reference resolution 58/265 adjusted in accordance with the same procedures as those applicable to staff in the Professional and higher categories). "Post adjustment as of February 2025 – $179,973 per year. Adjustments to salaries are based on geographic locations." The spokesman later confirmed to Fox News Digital that the U.N. chief's salary was $418, 348. Those earnings do not include some of the lavish extras he gets, such as a plush Manhattan residence and a personal chauffeur. While the U.S. doesn't directly pay the salary of the secretary-general, it does continue to fund around a quarter of the organization's budget, and critics continue to question outlays that they believe harm U.S. interests. Just last month, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Dorothy Shea issued a veiled warning to the world body upon vetoing an anti-Israel draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council. "Engaging in this performative process at a time when serious questions are being asked about the utility of the U.N., its funding and use of resources is shameful. This council should not be used in this way. This council must hold itself to a higher standard." A senior Republican congressional staffer who works on international organizations complained, "United Nations officials are the ultimate global elites. They earn lavish salaries and live in lavish New York penthouses, paid for largely with American taxpayer money. A large number of the U.N. organizations they lead are controlled by China. When they're not in New York, they spend their time and resources traveling all over the world attacking America and American allies. "The work of DOGE isn't done yet, and one step needs to be cutting off these officials from U.S. taxpayer money."
Fox News
42 minutes ago
- Fox News
House GOP freshman celebrates young American's safe homecoming amid Iran-Israel conflict
Rep. John McGuire, R-Va., welcomed 21-year-old Seth McCready home from Israel this week, as the State Department issued a security alert for U.S. citizens traveling worldwide and the conflict between Israel and Iran raged on. McCready talked to Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview at the Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday after he traveled from Israel to Jordan to Egypt before catching his final flight home. The Virginia native was greeted by his father and two brothers at the International Arrivals Gate, all sporting big smiles and embracing as their congressman stood by with red, white and blue balloons and an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol. "God protected me and the people I was with, and he's protecting Israel too," McCready said. "I 100% believe Israel's gonna pull through, no problem." McGuire's office was in constant contact with McCready during his days-long journey home from Israel, according to the young American. When the Jewish state launched its initial attacks on Iran, which President Donald Trump has referred to as the "12-day war," McCready was visiting family in Israel. He told Fox News Digital that he was later able to volunteer with a ministry group, preparing rooms and even delivering food to those in need as the strikes continued. "We did get a couple impacts. There was one that was like a kilometer away from me, and the whole building shook," McCready said, describing a strike that slipped through Israel's defenses. McGuire, who joined McCready's family to welcome him home on Tuesday, said, "I'm just so happy for his family. You can't always help somebody, but when you can, that's the best part about this job." The freshman Virginia congressman said he worked with the State Department to secure McCready's path home. Both McCready and McGuire thanked his political director, Ramona Christian, for her vital role in getting McCready home. "It's just a big team effort, and this is the second young person we helped get home in a week. And now we've got a couple of other folks that have reached out to our office, and we're hoping to be able to help them as well," McGuire told Fox News Digital in an interview. McGuire celebrated McCready's homecoming as the fragile ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel had just begun. Questions remained about whether the ceasefire would hold when Trump announced on Monday evening that "It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE." Trump said the U.S. successfully struck three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday night, but questions remain on Capitol Hill as to what degree the strikes set back Iran's nuclear program. McGuire, a Trump loyalist who secured his endorsement in 2024, said the "ability for Iran to project power has been greatly diminished." "We had an imminent threat of a nuclear weapon in Iran, and we just couldn't have that," McGuire added. "That threat has been eliminated." Israel had launched a series of coordinated attacks on Iran on June 13, which Iran retaliated against, prompting the countries to exchange strikes for 12 days. After the U.S. struck Iran, the Islamic Republic launched retaliatory attacks on a U.S. air base in Qatar. But McGuire affirmed he is "very hopeful" that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran will hold and that there will be peace in the Middle East. The Virginia Republican is a member of the House Oversight Committee and the House Armed Services, bringing his 10 years of experience as a Navy SEAL to the position.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump Issues Blistering Response After Iran Threatens U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a press conference during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025. Credit - Nicolas Tucat—Getty Images President Donald Trump issued blistering remarks in response to Iran's Supreme Leader claiming victory over Israel and, by extension, the U.S. In a loaded public message, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had also threatened to attack more U.S. Military bases, further splintering the Middle Eastern country's relationship with the U.S. 'Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell,' Trump said as he addressed the Iranian Supreme Leader during a White House press conference on Friday. Trump issued an even stronger response on his social media platform, Truth Social, later in the day, and doubled down on his stance once more when he reposted his message early Saturday morning. In the lengthy post, Trump accused Khamenei of publicly sharing a 'lie' by claiming Iran achieved a victory over Israel. He reaffirmed his much debated viewpoint that the U.S. strikes 'obliterated' the three key nuclear facilities it targeted on Saturday, June 21. Trump also seemingly made reference to previous reports that stated the White House turned down a plan by Israel to try and kill Khamenei. 'His country was decimated, his three evil nuclear sites were obliterated, and I knew exactly where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces... terminate his life. I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death,' Trump said, lamenting that Khamenei would not 'thank' him for this. 'During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery. The sanctions are biting! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief.' According to Congress, the U.S. sanctions on Iran 'are arguably the most extensive and comprehensive set of sanctions that the United States maintains on any country.' They block Iranian government assets in the U.S., ban nearly all U.S. trade with Iran, and prohibit foreign assistance and arms sales. Read More: How U.S. Strikes May Have Inadvertently Helped the Iranian Regime Trump concluded his charged social media message by saying 'Iran has to get back into the world order flow' or else things 'will only get worse for them.' 'They are always so angry, hostile, and unhappy, and look at what it has gotten them. A burned out, blown up country with no future, a decimated military, a horrible economy, and death all around them. They have no hope, and it will only get worse! I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with honey than you do with vinegar. Peace!" Khamenei broke his silence on Thursday, publicly speaking out—via a pre-recorded televised address and various social media comments— for the first time since Trump announced the (admittedly fragile) cease-fire between Israel and Iran. In his televised message, Khamenei threatened to attack more U.S. military bases should any more aggression from the U.S. side occur. 'The Islamic Republic slapped America in the face. It attacked one of the important American bases in the region,' Khamenei said, referring to his country's air assault on Al Udeid Air Base, a U.S. airbase in Qatar. The strikes were intercepted by the U.S. (except for one that was allowed to proceed as there was no risk of contact), and no casualties were reported. The military action was retaliatory, a direct response to the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities. Khamenei claimed 'total victory' over Israel. But Israel, the U.S., and Iran have all claimed to have won the war that started on June 13, when Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets, amid growing concern over Iran's nuclear capabilities. When the U.S. actively joined the conflict on June 21, striking three key Iranian nuclear facilities, world leaders urged de-escalation and a return to negotiations, amid fears of a far-reaching war erupting. Read More: 'Gravely Alarmed' World Leaders React After U.S. Strikes Iran Though Trump continues to say that Iran's nuclear sites were 'totally obliterated,' others have cast doubts on how effective the U.S. strikes were in setting back Iran's nuclear program. Leaked U.S. intelligence suggested that the damage to Iran's nuclear program may not be as severe as Trump has stated. CIA director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday that the sites had been 'severely damaged' by the U.S. strikes, and that it would take years to be rebuilt. Amid the debate, the White House has put out statements arguing Trump's stance that the facilities were "obliterated," labelling reports to the contrary as "fake news." But some Democrats left a classified meeting with lingering questions over the effectiveness of the strikes. 'There's no doubt there was damage done to the program, but the allegations that we have obliterated their program just don't seem to stand up to reason,' said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut on Thursday. 'To me, it still appears that we have only set back the Iranian nuclear program by a handful of months.' When asked about concerns of Iran having 'secret nuclear sites' at Friday's press conference, Trump said he was 'not worried about it at all.' 'They're exhausted. The last thing they're thinking about right now is nuclear,' he told reporters. 'You know what they're thinking of? They're thinking about tomorrow, trying to live in such a mess. The place was bombed to hell.' Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Trump needs to retire his "disrespectful" tone towards Khamenei if he wants a deal to be struck between the U.S. and Iran.'If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,' he said. "The great and powerful Iranian people, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had no choice but to run to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our missiles, do not take kindly to threats and insults." Araghchi was referencing remarks made by NATO chief Mark Rutte who, during the NATO Summit on Wednesday, referred to Trump as the "daddy" who had to intervene in the conflict between Israel and Iran. Contact us at letters@
