Iran
70SevereA nuclear-threshold state under maximum-pressure sanctions.
A revolutionary theocracy 46 years old, demographically young and politically restless, with a nuclear programme repeatedly degraded by Israeli strikes but not eliminated, and a network of proxy forces stretching from Lebanon to Yemen.
What the index reads for this country
Six axes specific to country-level pressure: war involvement, climate burden, mental-health load, press freedom, polarisation, inequality. Each scored 0 to 10.
How the country sees itself, how the world sees it
Hand-curated paraphrases of the dominant framings drawn from named outlets on each side. Not journalism; an attempt to make the gap visible so the reader can hold both at once.
Resistance to the global hegemon and its regional outpost. Nuclear capability is a sovereign right; the Axis of Resistance is the only force defending Palestinians and Yemenis from genocide and starvation.
“The arrogant powers will not dictate the terms of Iran's defence to Iran.”
A repressive regime executing protesters, exporting drones to Russia, arming Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, and racing the clock on a weapon while pretending it does not seek one. The most internally unpopular regime its proxies depend on.
“The regime is one funeral away from a succession crisis it has not prepared for.”
Iran is currently entangled in 3 conflicts
Conflict pairs sourced from the conflict registry used by the world map. Status reflects the most-elevated tier currently observable; intensity is editorial 0-10.
Israeli military operation in Gaza following the 7 October 2023 attacks. Tens of thousands of civilian casualties, mass displacement, ICJ provisional measures, and an active genocide case at the ICJ. The arc on this map links Israel to its primary state adversary (Iran) since Hamas is non-state.
Sustained cross-border exchanges since October 2023 escalating to direct strikes inside Lebanon and Hezbollah's leadership decapitation, with periodic ceasefires holding for short periods only.
Direct missile and drone exchanges between Israel and Iran began in 2024 and have continued in escalating waves, including Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear-adjacent facilities.