Journal of Academic Research for Humanities (JARH) is a double-blind, peer-reviewed, Open Free Access, online Multidisciplinary Research Journal
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Vol. 6 No. 3 (2026)
International Journal of Academic Research for Humanities

Research Articles

Blame Attribution in the Iran-Israel Conflict: A Psychological and Comparative Analysis of Attribution Theory Across Three Ideologically Distinct News Outlets (2023–2025)

https://doi.org/10.67244/jar.bwo-researches.v6i3.a639

Published 30-09-2026

  • Mashhood Ur Rehman
    • ,
  • Khatija Arain
    • ,
  • Madiha Hasan

Mashhood Ur Rehman
Research Scholar, Department of Media and Communication Studies, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan

Khatija Arain
Lecturer, Department of Applied Psychology, Rahim Yar Khan Campus, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan

Madiha Hasan
PhD Scholar, Department of Media and Communication Studies, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

This paper examines responsibility attribution during the escalation stage of the conflict between Iran and Israel for the period from October 2023 to March 2025 through an analysis of editorials in three ideologically divergent newspapers. By using the method of content analysis, the present study examined 654 editorials in the liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz (n = 246), state-aligned Iranian newspaper Kayhan International (n = 243), and conservative American newspaper The Wall Street Journal (n = 165). A keyword search identified an initial pool of 266 Kayhan International editorials; after screening, 243 met the full inclusion criteria and were coded and analyzed (Section 4.2.4). Results showed statistically significant differences between outlets in blame attribution (all p < .001). Kayhan International attributed aggressor status to Israel in 97.9% of editorials mentioning Israel and to the United States in 91.8% of editorials mentioning the United States, while attributing no aggressor status to Iran. The Wall Street Journal attributed aggressor status to Iran in 52.7% of editorials mentioning Iran and to Israel in none. Haaretz showed a more distributed pattern, attributing aggressor status to Israel in 21.1% of editorials mentioning Israel and to Iran in 13.8%. These distributions differed significantly from both the equal-distribution benchmark (goodness-of-fit chi-square tests) and one another (chi-square tests of independence), with effect sizes (Cramér's V) ranging from 0.51 to 0.78. Drawing on psychological attribution theory (Heider, 1958; Weiner, 1985), these findings describe systematic differences in editorial framing; implications for audience understanding or diplomatic outcomes are presented as potential, effects.

Keywords

blame attribution, attribution theory, media framing, Iran-Israel conflict, content analysis, conflict journalism, editorial analysis, comparative media

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