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How to Defeat the Islamic Republic
(Wall Street Journal) Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh - Islam is growing weaker within Iran. Mosques are now mostly empty even on religious holidays. Seminaries have few recruits. Ayatollah Khamenei has planted Iran's flag from the Gulf to the Mediterranean, but imperialism carries costs, as the Shiite militias Iran arms and local allies it subsidizes burden its treasury. The U.S. should once more establish contact with and financially assist dissident organizations in Iran. Trump should embrace Reagan's model of speaking directly to the Iranian people while castigating their illegitimate regime. Washington should again impose crippling sanctions to deny the mullahs their patronage networks, the key to their power. Mr. Gerecht is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Mr. Takeyh is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.