Awaiting the reappearance is not passive patience; it is a conscious effort to reform oneself and society. A true believer awaiting Imam Mahdi (AJ) strives for moral integrity, justice-seeking, self-purification, and resistance against oppression in order to help prepare the ground for his return.

The occultation of Imam Mahdi (AJ) occurred according to divine wisdom and aims to test people’s faith and gradually prepare society to accept a global government of justice. Occultation does not mean the absence of guidance; rather, it provides an opportunity for intellectual growth, responsibility, and maturity within human society.

Mahdism refers to the belief in the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AJ) as the savior of the end times, who will fill the world with justice after it has been overwhelmed by oppression. This belief holds a central place in Shiite thought because it connects faith with hope for the future and represents God’s promise for the salvation of humanity.

In Shiite thought, Mahdist expectation does not imply withdrawal from social and political responsibilities. True anticipation involves striving for justice, opposing oppression, and actively participating in societal reform. Preparing for the Imam’s reappearance requires responsible engagement rather than passive waiting.

The signs of the Mahdi’s appearance in traditions are divided into definite and indefinite categories. These signs are primarily intended to provide guidance, alertness, and awareness of the conditions of the end times rather than to predict the exact timing of the Imam’s return. Scholars caution against literal or premature interpretations.

The Major Occultation led to the development of the Shiite marjaʿiyya (religious authority) and the institution of ijtihad (independent reasoning). During this period, qualified jurists act as the general representatives of Imam Mahdi (AJ), guiding the religious affairs of the community and ensuring the continuity and vitality of Shiite jurisprudence.

Although the belief in the appearance of the Mahdi is shared by both Shiites and Sunnis, the main difference lies in the identity and characteristics of the Imam. Shiites believe that Imam Mahdi (AJ) is the son of Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS) and is a living, occulted Imam, whereas Sunnis generally view him as a future-born figure who will appear at the end of times.

Belief in Imam Mahdi (AJ) has deep roots in the Quran, the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and the sayings of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). Authoritative Shiite sources such as Kamal al-Din, Al-Ghaybah (by Sheikh Tusi and Al-Nu‘mani), and Bihar al-Anwar extensively discuss Mahdism and present it as a fundamental tenet of faith.

A review of various historical events in the last five decades paints a clear picture of the decline of America’s hard and soft power in the face of the Islamic Republic of Iran. From the day Carter confidently spoke of the “Island of Stability” to today, when commanders refer to Iran’s missile and drone capabilities as a “nightmare,” the power equation has completely changed.

West Watch Group: Ever since former US President Jimmy Carter called Pahlavi-dominated Iran an “Island of Stability” in January 1977, until today, when the power equations in the Persian Gulf and West Asia have changed, America has always sought to contain Iran. In these five decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran was able to disrupt America’s complex calculations and deal lasting blows to the hegemony of this superpower.

1) The Fall of the Pahlavi Regime

The first and biggest blow was the collapse of the regional gendarme. America stood fully behind Mohammad Reza Pahlavi; in the days leading up to the revolution, it even sent General Heiser to Tehran to organize a possible coup or to protect the army. But the storm of the Islamic Revolution not only swept over Carter's "island of stability" but also took America's largest strategic base in West Asia from their grasp. This victory was the first blow to Washington's credibility in the region.

2) Seizing the spy den

The seizure of the US embassy in Tehran was a blow to its reputation, which Imam Khomeini (RA) called the "second revolution." For the first time in modern history, America's diplomatic and intelligence majesty collapsed. The 444-day hostage-taking of embassy staff not only brought the Carter administration to its knees, but the leaked documents from this center revealed Washington's spy networks and extensive interference in Iran's internal affairs.

3) Failure of Operation Eagle Claw in Tabas

To compensate for the humiliation caused by the embassy capture, the US designed the most sophisticated hostage rescue operation. But the sandstorm in the Tabas deserts turned the most advanced aviation equipment of the US army into scrap metal. The humiliating defeat in Tabas was not only a military failure, but also, according to many analysts, the end of the Carter presidency and a sign of unseen relief for the Iranian nation.

) Failure of the Nojeh Coup

Just a few months after the Tabas incident, a complex plan was designed to overthrow the fledgling regime by infiltrating the Shahid Nojeh Air Base in Hamedan. This coup, which was accompanied by direct intelligence and financial support from the West, was exposed before it was carried out and its agents were arrested. The neutralization of this plot showed that Iran's security structure, despite its infancy, is highly impenetrable.

5) Resistance in the 8-year imposed war

The imposed war was a major test to prove Iran's independence. While Saddam, with the full support of the United States, NATO, the Eastern Bloc, and the region’s petrodollars, was yearning for a one-week conquest of Tehran, the Iranian nation resisted for eight years. This was the only war in Iran’s 200-year history that did not allow even a single inch of its territory to fall into foreign hands. The United States, which had directly entered the conflict in the Persian Gulf at the end of the war, ultimately witnessed the failure of the project to collapse Iran through classical warfare.

6) Containing the 1999 sedition and the failure of the velvet coup

The “color revolutions” model, which had been successful in the four countries of Yugoslavia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan, was rewritten in 1999 for implementation in Iran. Michael Ledin and other American theorists were openly predicting the occurrence of a velvet coup. But the wisdom of the wise leader of the revolution and the epic presence of the people on January 9 th.

7) Hunting advanced drones; RQ-170 and Global Hawk

The technological battle in the sky was another area of ​​Iran's thumbs-up. In 2011, Iran was able to land the RQ-170 (Kandahar Beast) super-spy drone safely and reverse engineer it. Years later, in July 2019, the downing of the giant and expensive Global Hawk drone by the indigenous "Som Khordad" system showed that America's air superiority in the region had ended.

8) The battle with ISIS and the failure of the New Middle East project

9) The arrest of American marines in the Persian Gulf

10) The missile barrage at Ain al-Assad base

11) The 12-day imposed war and the targeting of Al-Udeid base

One of the biggest and brightest symbols of the defeat of America's hegemony in recent years is an event that occurred during the 12-day battle (1404). Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, known as the beating heart and headquarters of CENTCOM in the region, was blinded in a daring and combined operation.

In June 2015, Donald Trump had spoken with foolish pride of Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran, but Iran’s decisive response brought the hammer down on their own heads. While American fighters thought the skies over Iran were quiet, a rain of pinpoint missiles and Iranian suicide drones descended on Al-Udeid. Operation Bashar al-Fath was not a simple response, but a “strategic shock” that reduced the advanced radars and command and control centers of the United States to a pile of ashes. The Foreign Policy newspaper, admitting this defeat, wrote: “Al-Udeid is no longer safe; Iran has proven that it can destroy America’s military vision in West Asia at any moment.”

12) The enemy's defeat in the 1401 riots

13) Authority in the open waters; seizure of oil tankers and maritime diplomacy

14) Neutralizing the January 1404 sedition; a shot of liberation to chaos

The last desperate attempt to disrupt Iran's internal security was designed in January 1404 as a complement to the 12-day war. The enemy intended to draw the concentration of the armed forces from the borders to the cities by creating blind street insecurity. However, the wisdom of the leadership and the vigilance of the security apparatus and the unparalleled support of the people nipped this sedition in the bud. This victory in 1404 was, in fact, a shot of liberation to decades of American conspiracies and showed that the bond between the nation and the sovereignty in Iran is stronger than any weapon or sanction.

Iran’s top military official warns that any miscalculation by the Islamic Republic’s enemies would trigger a forceful response, saying the country is fully prepared for confrontation and retaliation.

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi made the remarks on Monday, saying the servicemen were prepared to respond decisively to threats. “We think only of victory. We have no fear of the enemy’s superficial might, and we are fully ready for confrontation and to deliver a retaliatory slap,” he stated.

The Iranian nation has long stood firm against the arrogant and aggressive nature of the United States, forcing it into “repeated defeats,” including in the recent “complex, multidimensional, and terrorist war,” which disrupted enemy calculations.

The official was referring to the US- and Israeli-backed terrorist riots that had sought to divert economic protests towards unrest, but were faced with counteraction on the part of Iranian intelligence and security forces.

Over the past 47 years, he added – pointing to the time that has passed since the victory of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution – Iranians have proven that the country “is not something that can be swallowed,” warning that an “obstinate, reckless adversary who refuses to learn will ultimately be suffocated.”