ERASING THE AYATOLLAHS (2026)

Trump and Netanyahu seem to share a very simple theory of regime change: if you want to bring down the system, start by removing the people at the very top and work your way down. So instead of the slow theatre of diplomacy, they went straight for the leadership of the Iranian regime. A kind of brutal political shortcut. The Ayatollahs built their power on the idea of permanence and divine authority, but in the end it turns out that even the most immovable regimes can look surprisingly fragile when someone decides to erase the top layer all at once.

Client: Der Spiegel. Creative direction: Torben Bockholt