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Master of artistic coups: Panahi's Palme d'Or divides Cannes, Iran
Oppressive rules are a universally occurring absurdity, as Panahi's travel experiences establish
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In their response to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or for It was Just an Accident, one thing united commentators at Cannes and state-affiliated media in Iran. Both called it a 'political' win, albeit for different reasons. Global media said the prize was a sign the French film festival was faltering on its traditionally 'apolitical' stance to engage with international affairs, while Iranian government-backed outlets — under scrutiny for brutally suppressing protests since 2022 — dubbed it a West-sanctioned smear campaign.
A simple examination of Panahi's oeuvre, however, shows his lens belongs only to himself. The 64-year-old is a master
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It could hit American targets in the region, hoping to spook Mr Trump. It could use its proxies to attack shipping in the Red Sea (as the Houthis have been doing), or it could close the Strait of Hormuz and attack energy facilities in the Gulf (raising oil prices). And if the Iranian regime is brought down by Israel's efforts—an ambition that Mr Netanyahu raised explicitly on June 13th, saying that the strikes were 'clearing the path' for its overthrow— the president may not be able to escape the resulting chaos, which could easily threaten America's interests or its allies in the region. Only a month ago when in Saudi Arabia Mr Trump articulated a different vision, of a Middle East 'golden age' that was 'defined by commerce, not chaos'. He decried Western intervention in the region and said that henceforth American policy would be based on trade and investment. In one interpretation, joining Israel's attack could create a transformative moment for the Middle East, hastening that goal by severely weakening or ending a decaying Iranian regime that has caused mayhem beyond its borders for decades. Yet as other American presidents have found, the region has a way of shattering utopian ideas. At home Republicans are broadly supportive of Israel and American assistance for it. 'Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself!' posted Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House, on June 13th. Yet the longer the campaign goes on the more a backlash may build among MAGA-movement members hostile to foreign interventions. Some are already sharing an old video clip of Mr Trump denouncing Barack Obama's Iran policy: 'Our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate.' The dilemma for the ever-ambivalent Mr Trump is acute: if he chooses to go 'all in' in helping Israel destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, he could shorten the conflict. Yet by doing so he could also escalate it and expose America to another forever war. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
