International Relations / West Asia
The “fog of war” refers to the uncertainty, confusion and information gaps that surround situations of conflict and repression, a concept popularised by Carl von Clausewitz. In Iran, this fog is amplified by internet shutdowns, media restrictions and sharply conflicting claims over protest casualties, making it difficult to ascertain the true scale of state action and societal unrest.
Within this opaque environment lies the “Iranian conundrum” — a recurring cycle where economic distress, political legitimacy crises and sustained external pressure intersect. While short-term control measures and crackdowns may temporarily contain dissent, deeper structural factors such as sanctions, inflation, governance limitations and factional power struggles continue to reproduce instability.
APSC relevance:
West Asia politics, sanctions and domestic legitimacy, state response to protests, “fog of war” in conflict studies, and implications for India’s foreign policy and energy interests.
Course Purchase Query 