Ilan Ziv’s The March to War: Iran, Israel and the USA (2026) will prove an invaluable resource for any student of Middle Eastern political relations, political science, or international affairs. When the United States began bombing Iran in 2026, Donald Trump claimed that the U.S. was not starting a “new” war. Instead, White House and Pentagon briefings indicated that the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign was a tactical continuation of an ongoing, structural conflict that begins in 1979 with the Iranian Revolution. Ziv presents this as the primary thesis of his documentary, centering his 3-part series around pivotal moments in the history of this ongoing conflict. Drawing upon eye-witness testimonies, the documentary is a valuable piece of politico-historical ethnography that showcases Iranian, Israeli, and U.S. perspectives.
Part 1, “Broken Dreams” chronicles the events leading up to the Iranian revolution and offers a glimpse of a pre-Ayatollah Iran that existed in relative peace with its Israeli neighbors and American allies. The interviewees include: Mohsen Sazegara, Founder of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; Javad Mansouri, First Commander Islamic Revolutionary Guard Forces (1979); Shimon Peres, Prime minister of Israel from (1984-1986, 1995-1996) & President of Israel from (2007-2014); and Leon Panetta Director of Central Intelligence Agency (2009-2011) & US Secretary of Defense (2011-2013). This chapter may be the most “human,” because alongside the interviews, Ziv shares the stories of Israeli families who lived in Iran before the revolution and who, subsequently, had to leave their homes.
Part 2, “The First Battle,” puts forth the thesis that the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon was the direct result of the Iranian Revolution. The interviewees include: Naim Qassem, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General (1991-2024) & Hezbollah Secretary General (2024-); Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel (1999-2001) & Minister of Defense (2007-2013); Sheik Malek Wahab Head, Hezbollah Political Department (2000); General Uri Sagi Head of Israeli Military Intelligence (1965-1997). Here, the narrative takes a more chilling turn as the martyrdom of suicide bombing becomes the tools with which Hezbollah repels the Israeli invasion. Ziv intersperses archival footage of young men being indoctrinated into this martyrdom. This interspersing of primary footage and images is, it should be added, the primary “cinematic” aspect of the films. The director and editors have clearly scoured thousands of hours of images and video to accompany the interviews.
Part 3, “Diplomacy Subverted,” takes us into 2026 by searching for reasons why peace could not have been reached sooner. The interviewees include: Ehud Olmert, Former Prime Minister of Israel (2006-2009); Col Laurence Wilkerson, Chief of Staff to Colin Powell (2001-2005); Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel; Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Member of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran (1997-2005) and Iranian Ambassador to Germany (1990-1997); Robert Malley, Lead negotiator on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal & special advisor and White House coordinator to the Middle East (2015-2016). Many viewers might be surprised at the lengths to which the U.S. and Iran went to broker peace between them. While peace seemed imminent, diplomacy was subverted by assassinations and military attacks. In no unclear terms, Benjamin Netanyahu makes it clear that Iran and Israel cannot co-exist.
Accessibility will be an issue with this film. Even where subtitles are present, audio does not match. Hebrew and Farsi are fully integrated into the film and translated on screen, but hearing-impaired viewers should not expect subtitles for the English-language interviews. These issues are unfortunate, but they do little to diminish the documentary's overall value as an insightful examination of the conflict.
Why should educators and libraries recommend this documentary?
This is an invaluable resource for anyone studying the root causes and consequences of the Iran-Israel-U.S. conflict. Not only is it highly informative, but it also presents first-person perspectives from diplomats, military officials, and political leaders who experienced these events firsthand. As a result, Ziv has created an important body of source material for students, scholars, researchers, and future documentarians. Libraries and educators supporting political science, international relations, or Middle Eastern studies should strongly consider incorporating this documentary into coursework, research guides, and discussion programming.
What academic subjects or university courses would benefit from this documentary about Iran, Israel, and the United States?
The March to War: Iran, Israel and the USA is an exceptional resource for courses in political science, Middle Eastern studies, international relations, diplomatic history, conflict studies, and security studies. Spanning nearly five decades of geopolitical developments, the documentary combines eyewitness testimony with extensive archival footage to trace the origins and evolution of one of the world's most consequential regional conflicts. Students benefit from hearing directly from former government officials, military leaders, diplomats, and political figures representing Iranian, Israeli, and American perspectives. The series also serves as an excellent case study in diplomacy, intelligence, foreign policy, and the long-term consequences of revolution, proxy warfare, and failed peace negotiations.
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