Force-dynamics and the pragmatics of counter proximisation in Iranian media discourse

Abstract This paper extends Proximisation Theory (Cap, P. 2013. Proximization: The pragmatics of symbolic distance crossing . Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company) by introducing the concept of counter proximisation , as a discursive mechanism through which state responses to external threats are constructed as legitimate, effective, and sovereign. Drawing on Talmy’s (2000. Toward a cognitive semantics: Concept structuring systems , vol. 1. MIT press) force-dynamic theory, the study reconceptualises proximisation as a bidirectional interaction between the Self and the threatening Other. Through a discourse analysis of Iranian state-affiliated media coverage during the June 2025 Iran–Israel conflict, the paper demonstrates how Iranian newspapers constructs Israel as an encroaching threat (via proximisation) while simultaneously performing retaliatory actions as discursively legitimate responses (via counter proximisation). These responses are shown to reinforce both output legitimacy (through perceived policy effectiveness) and symbolic legitimacy (through performative displays of strength and sovereignty). The study contributes to discourse studies, securitisation theory, and political communication by modelling the legitimisation process as a recursive cycle of threat and response, underscoring how power is linguistically enacted, narrated, and sustained in crisis discourse.