For Mehdi Ghadimi, the ideology behind Iran’s ruling system is not theoretical. It was something he was taught from childhood.

«You were told you are a part a small group chosen by God… to revive God’s religion and fight to defend it,» the Iranian journalist told Fox News Digital, describing the message repeated in schools, mosques and state media.

That early indoctrination, he said, framed the world in stark terms: a divine struggle between good and evil, with Iran’s leadership positioned at the center of a religious mission.

Iran’s ruling system is often described in political terms, but critics and former insiders say its core is far more radical — a belief structure rooted in religious absolutism, messianic expectation and a worldview that leaves little room for compromise.

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As a new generation of commanders rises within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following recent military blows under Operation Epic Fury, analysts warn that this ideology may become even more entrenched.

Figures such as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Ahmad Vahidi are often cited as part of a cohort shaped by years of conflict in Iraq and across the region — one that sees religion, security and survival as inseparable.

A belief system, not just a government

At the center of that worldview is the belief in the Mahdi — a messianic figure in Shiite Islam whose return is expected to usher in a final era of justice after chaos.

Twelver Shiism is the dominant belief for Shias, the Mahdi, identified as the 12th Imam, is alive but hidden and will one day return. Iran’s political system positions the supreme leader as his caretaker. 

Critics say that framework gives political authority a religious dimension that can make it difficult to challenge.

Primary school girls in traditional headscarves sit in a classroom, Tehran, Iran, Oct. 1, 1997. (Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)

«For the mullahs in Iran, the Mahdi idea is less about personal faith and more about power,» said Lisa Daftari, foreign policy analyst and editor-in-chief at The Foreign Desk. «They use it to suggest that the supreme leader’s views are not just political opinions, but carry a kind of divine weight.»

«The system is set up so that disagreeing with the leader can be portrayed as questioning the Hidden Imam himself,» she said.

«That turns ordinary policy debates into something almost untouchable… you’re no longer arguing with a politician, you’re seen as pushing back against a sacred figure.»

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Commanders and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Aug. 17, 2023. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA/Reuters)

No real moderates

Ghadimi argues that this structure leaves little room for genuine political diversity.

«Groups labeled as ‘moderate,’ ‘reformist,’ or ‘pro-Western’ are created so that the West can negotiate with them,» he said.

«No one within the structure of the Islamic Republic thinks about anything other than defeating the Western world and establishing Islamic dominance globally.»

From belief to action

For Iran expert Daftari, the Mahdi doctrine also provides a flexible justification for policy.

«A lot of insiders know perfectly well that this language is being used strategically,» she said. «The Mahdi story gives the leadership a way to claim moral and religious cover for decisions that are often about preserving the regime or expanding its reach.»

«When they talk about ‘preparing the ground’ for the Mahdi, that phrase can be stretched to cover almost anything — crushing protests, backing militias abroad or asking people to accept more economic pain.»

«This religious framing makes compromise much harder,» she added. «If you convince your base that you are carrying out a holy mission… backing down can be painted as a betrayal of God’s plan.»

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A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979 is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. (AFP/Via Getty Images)

A worldview shaped early

Ghadimi said that message is reinforced from childhood, shaping how generations understand their role in society.

In schools, media and mosques, he said, ideology was embedded into everyday life, leaving little space for alternative narratives.

That framing, analysts say, helps explain how the system sustains itself even under pressure.

It also contributes to a worldview in which conflict is not temporary, but part of a larger, ongoing struggle.

«The Islamic government, based on its own interpretation of the Quran, considers itself obligated to enforce Islamic law across the entire world,» Ghadimi told Fox News Digital, adding that the regime «sees itself as the leader of this belief globally.»

«They harbor hatred toward Iranians and Jews, whom they regard as enemies of Islam since its very beginning, and they consider killing them—such as on Oct. 7 and in the recent killings in Iran — to be divinely rewarded acts, much like the beliefs once held by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,» he said.

«No one within the structure of the Islamic Republic thinks about anything other than defeating the Western world and establishing Islamic dominance globally,» Ghadimi said.

In that framework, critics say, Iran is not simply pursuing national interests but acting within what it sees as a broader religious mandate.

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In this picture released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stands as air force commanders salute during their meeting in Tehran, Feb. 7, 2017. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/AP)

Violence and belief

Some critics argue that within this framework, violence can take on religious meaning.

«They consider killing them… to be divinely rewarded acts,» Ghadimi said.

Still, analysts say the combination of messianic belief and absolutist ideology creates a system in which confrontation is not only expected, but justified.

A cycle with no easy exit

An Iranian official rejected those characterizations and warned that economic collapse and destruction caused by war could drive long-term resentment.

«If a country is turned into ruins, poverty spreads. Out of such poverty comes hatred, resentment and a desire for revenge, and this cycle of hostility can continue for years. It is not correct to think that everything will simply end the day after a ceasefire. Even if there were no hostile government left in place, people within society who have lost everything may still be driven to seek retribution.»

For Ghadimi, the issue is not just how Iran behaves, but how it understands itself.

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People gather in Revolution Square to mourn Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed Feb. 28 in a joint Israel-U.S. operation, in Tehran, Iran, on March 1, 2026. (Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)

If the system is rooted in a belief that blends religion, power and mission, critics say, then policies like repression at home and confrontation abroad may not be temporary tactics but structural features.

And if moderation within that system is limited, as some argue, then the challenge for policymakers is not simply negotiation, but understanding the ideology that drives it.

Las poco conocidas ilustraciones realizadas por Leonora Carrington durante su internación en un hospital psiquiátrico han sido reunidas y expuestas en la capital británica. El reencuentro de estos materiales en el Freud Museum de Londres, antigua residencia de Sigmund Freud, marca la primera exposición institucional en esa ciudad dedicada a la artista desde 1991 y subraya el vínculo entre su experiencia personal, la historia del arte y la psiquiatría.

La muestra incluye varias obras y cartas de Carrington pertenecientes al período de 1940, cuando fue tratada por una crisis mental en un sanatorio de Santander, en España. Según la curadora Vanessa Boni, consultada por el medio Artnet News, los dibujos contienen dos bocetos preparatorios para su pintura Down Below y exhiben la génesis de las criaturas híbridas que poblarían esa obra. El reingreso al circuito público de estos materiales se produce más de veinte años después de que los cuadernos fueran subastados y dispersados entre colecciones privadas en 2004.

Durante su internación, Leonora Carrington fue sometida a terapias de choque con Cardiazol bajo la supervisión del doctor Luis Morales, quien también la animó a dibujar compulsivamente. Esos cuadernos, con frecuentes apariciones de caballos en formas “inestables y cambiantes”, según Boni, nutrieron tanto su obra como el relato autobiográfico que la artista publicó en 1972. Para el surrealismo de Carrington, la iconografía surgía del ocultismo, la mitología y el tarot, lo que le permitió elaborar simbólicamente la experiencia traumática que describió como “muy parecida a haber estado muerta.”

En estos cuadernos, Carrington transformó la imagen del hospital en un “inframundo” habitado por bestias extrañas, fusionando su vivencia psiquiátrica con símbolos personales. Este enfoque conecta con el interés del surrealismo por los sueños y los deseos reprimidos, influido por la teoría psicoanalítica de Freud, aunque, como señala Boni en Artnet News, la artista también “resiste este tipo de lectura al convertir su conflicto interno en una mitología simbólica propia.”

La pertinencia del Freud Museum se acentúa al considerar que el propio Sigmund Freud, de origen judío, debió abandonar Viena tras el avance nazi en 1938. Su último año de vida transcurrió en la casa londinense que hoy alberga la muestra, hecho que, según Boni, otorga un significado adicional: “Ese contexto compartido de desplazamiento hace que el museo sea un escenario particularmente relevante para contemplar este trabajo.”

En la exhibición, los dibujos de Carrington dialogan con objetos de la colección de Freud, entre ellos una estatua egipcia de Anubis —deidad con cabeza de chacal, guardián del inframundo— y varias figuras de caballos, una referencia al interés del psicoanalista por los objetos que revelan aspectos profundos de la mente humana.

Al salir del sanatorio, Carrington viajó brevemente a Nueva York antes de establecerse en México, país donde residió la mayor parte de su vida adulta. Durante su paso por Estados Unidos, entregó los cuadernos de Santander al coleccionista Julien Levy, quien los custodió durante 60 años antes de su dispersión en subasta en 2004. El reagrupamiento de la mayor parte de estos materiales en el Freud Museum representa “la primera vez en más de dos décadas que este conjunto se exhibe reunido”, según Artnet News.

El corpus hospitalario de Carrington incluye piezas como Chambre D’enfants a Minuit (Nursery at Midnight) y More Frontiers of Space (ambas de 1941). Estos dibujos, realizados con trazos ligeros sobre papel, constituyen una ventana al proceso creativo y al impacto que el trauma ejerció sobre la artista. La presencia recurrente del caballo se interpreta como reflejo de inestabilidad y transformación psíquica, temas centrales tanto en sus obras de esta etapa como en su trayectoria ulterior.

La muestra “Leonora Carrington: The Symptomatic Surreal” reúne estos fragmentos de una de las etapas más complejas de la vida de la artista y redefine la relación entre arte, mente y memoria al situar las piezas junto a reliquias personales del propio Freud.

Tax season is stressful enough, but avoidable mistakes can turn a routine filing into an expensive headache.

With Tax Day just 10 days away, even small errors can mean the difference between a smooth refund and frustrating delays. In some cases, they can even trigger IRS notices or unexpected penalties.

Here are five common filing missteps to watch out for and how to avoid them:

1. Choosing the wrong filing status

Your filing status is one of the most important choices on your tax return because it helps determine your tax rate, your standard deduction and which credits you may be eligible to claim. Pick the wrong one, and you could end up paying more than you owe, getting a smaller refund or triggering delays if the IRS flags the return for review.

For many taxpayers, the confusion comes from life changes that happened during the year, like getting married or divorced, having a child, moving in with a partner, supporting an aging parent or sharing custody. Even if your situation feels straightforward, the IRS rules can be less intuitive, especially for taxpayers who aren’t sure whether they qualify as «head of household» or whether they can still file as «qualifying surviving spouse» after a spouse has died.

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Head of household, in particular, can be costly to get wrong. It typically comes with a larger standard deduction and more favorable tax brackets than filing as single – but it has strict requirements tied to paying more than half the cost of keeping up a home and having a qualifying dependent. If you don’t meet the rules and claim it anyway, you may have to pay back tax benefits later, plus penalties and interest.

When in doubt, the IRS has an online filing-status tool, and many tax software programs will walk you through the questions to help you choose the right category.

2. Leaving credits on the table

A woman preparing her taxes. (Kurt «CyberGuy» Knutsson)

One of the biggest and most expensive tax-season mistakes is failing to claim every credit or deduction you qualify for. That can mean a smaller refund or a higher bill.

«I think the top mistake people make is not fully understanding or taking the time to really research what are all the different deductions and the ways that you can put a little bit of extra money in your pocket that are available to you,» said Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP.

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Sweeney also warned taxpayers not to rely on last year’s return as a blueprint for filing because of recent changes to the tax code from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

«This would be a good year given that there are these changes to the tax code, to make sure not to assume that what you did last year will convey over to this year. Really take a fresh look at your tax situation and see if there’s money that you’re leaving on the table,» he said.

3. Missing key deadlines

A couple is seen going over tax paperwork. (iStock)

An extension can buy you time to file your paperwork, but it doesn’t give you extra time to pay. For most taxpayers, the IRS deadline to pay what you owe is April 15, 2026 – even if you request an extension to file later.

«Remember that even if you claim an extension, the money is owed on April 15,» said Mike Faulkender, co-chair of American Prosperity at the America First Policy Institute.

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Faulkender, a former Treasury official and IRS commissioner, said taxpayers who need more time should still estimate their bill and pay by the filing deadline to help avoid added costs.

«You have to actually send in a check or have the payment deducted from your account by the filing deadline,» he said.

If you can’t pay in full by April 15, pay what you can to help limit penalties and interest on top of your tax bill.

4. Entering bank account details incorrectly

If you choose direct deposit for your refund, the IRS relies on the routing and account numbers you provide. One wrong digit can lead to delays. 

If you pay what you owe by direct debit, incorrect banking details can also lead to a rejected payment and potentially result in penalties and interest.

5. Filing before all your tax forms arrive

Timing matters when it comes to filing your taxes. Submitting your return before you’ve received all your key paperwork, like W-2s or 1099s, can lead to errors, missing income or a return you have to amend later.

Faulkender said there’s a simple way to double-check what’s been reported under your name before you file. 

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«One of the things that I learned last year when I was IRS commissioner, was that if you create an account on irs.gov, you can see everything that’s been filed under your tax ID,» he said. 

«We’re supposed to receive all of our W-2s and our 1099 forms in the mail in January and February. But if you’re missing one, or you misplaced it rather than requesting it again, you can actually go and see what was filed under your taxpayer identification number if you create an account on IRS.gov.» 

Filing late can also cost you extra money, especially if you owe. The goal is to wait until you have what you need, then file as soon as you’re ready.