Khamenei’s Brutal Grip and Tehran’s Tumult: What America Must Watch Next

When Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei unleashed the harshest crackdown in nearly four decades against nationwide protests last month, he exposed not only his iron grip on power but also the fragility of his regime—fragility that directly impacts America’s national security interests. How Long Can Brutality Silence Popular Outrage? Iran’s crackdown was more than just repression; it was a desperate attempt by a faltering regime to suppress an economically ravaged middle class that has grown increasingly hostile to clerical rule. The chants of “Death to Khamenei!” echoing through Iranian streets are not empty slogans—they signal a profound crisis threatening...