Zoroastrianism seeded the Abrahamic religions ideologically: One Creator, Good vs Evil, Souls choose their own destiny, Afterlife, etc.

Persia also gave us the game of chess as we know it today.

I've only known one Iranian personally in my life

Second generation American, a brilliant computer tech, with a mind like a steel trap for statistics and an engaging personality.

I had a good Iranian friend. She lives in MA now. I met her in 1979. She didn't talk about Iran too much. She was a struggling fashion designer. She was homesick though.
We're both Armenian. Both looking for Armenian guys. We often compared Armenian customs.
Haven't seen her decades.

End Times belief seems to have infiltrated some Muslim beliefs in Iran. There are some Iranians today who believe in an End Times battle of good against evil which they will win in the name of Allah.

So, under Hegseth, both sides in this war regard it as a holy war.

Thanks for that!

The Obscure Religion that Shaped the West

If you enjoy SF, I think you’ll love “Bill the Galactic Hero” by Harry Harrison. The protagonist comes from a Fundamentalist Zoroastrian background.

Without Oracle there is no cloud, no Palantir. The some suggest that the Oracle at Delphi was stoned on ethylene vapors...whatever AI told them it was a good idea to attack Iran must have been smoking crack.