Tehran: Russian researcher Evdokia Dobreva believes that one of the most significant elements of the strategic legacy of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, was the creation of a political system resilient to external pressure and a broad, adaptable administrative structure that enabled Iran to navigate a decisive chapter in its history.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Evdokia Dobreva, who is a junior research fellow of the Center for the Middle East Studies, Primakov Institute for the World Economy and International Relations, made the remarks in an interview with IRNA, published on Saturday as Iran bids farewell to the martyred Leader who was assassinated in an airstrike on his office in Tehran on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.

'In my view, one of the most important elements of Ayatollah Khamenei's strategic legacy was the creation of a system whose stability does not depend on a single individual. Over the course of several decades, Iran developed not only its military capabilities but also an extensive bureaucratic apparatus capable of ensuring the functioning of the state even under crisis conditions,' she said, adding that Iran's distinctive system of power distribution in which authority is divided among several institutions made the country 'less vulnerable to external pressure and the loss of individual leaders.'

According to Russian researcher, 'Ayatollah Khamenei's 'Look East' strategy played a significant role in strengthening relations with Russia and other non-Western partners.'

'In addition, under his leadership Iran substantially enhanced its military capabilities, placing particular emphasis on asymmetric means of warfare. However, no less important was the creation of an institutional framework designed to withstand long-term external challenges. It was this system that enabled Iran to preserve stability, continuity of governance, and resilience during one of the most difficult periods in its modern history.'

Responding to a question that what factors within Iranian society defeated the US and Israel in pursuing their goals of launching a military attack on Iran, the Russian researcher referred to what she described as a strong sense of national identity, saying that most Iranians, 'despite political divisions,' view external military pressure as an infringement on national sovereignty.

'Historical memory plays an important role here. Iranian society still retains vivid memories of foreign intervention by great powers in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the eight-year Iran-Iraq War. As a result, during times of crisis, many internal disagreements tend to recede into the background,' she added.

Dobreva believes that living under sanctions has also played a great role in the Iranian people's resilience against foreign pressure.

'Over decades of restrictions, Iran has developed mechanisms of adaptation in the fields of economics, logistics, and industry. While sanctions have undoubtedly imposed serious costs on the country's development, they have also encouraged the growth of domestic production and technological capabilities in a number of strategic sectors. This has significantly increased the state's resilience to external pressure.'

In addition, according to the Russian researcher, the ideological factor coupled with multi-layered security architecture have helped increase Iran's resilience.

She argued that resistance to external pressure is viewed as a matter of principle rather than a mere security matter, while a multi-layered security architecture, which includes both conventional armed forces and institutions capable of operating under conditions of crisis and asymmetric confrontation, makes it extremely difficult to achieve political objectives through military pressure alone.