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America Can Face Down a Fragile Iran - Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh
(Wall Street Journal) Iran is in no shape for a prolonged confrontation with the U.S. The regime is in a politically precarious position. The Iranian middle class has given up on the possibility of reform or prosperity. The lower classes have also grown disloyal. And the youth have become the regime's most unrelenting critics. The key to dealing with the Islamic Republic is to appreciate that it is an exhausted regime, perhaps well on its way to extinction. The regime's essential weakness means it can't muster sufficient strength for a prolonged conflict with a determined superpower. The mullahs' clenched fists, slogans of martyrdom, and staged demonstrations shouldn't be confused with real 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.