Iran's post-1978-79 revolution history reveals a systematic consolidation of power by Ayatollah Khomeini, who rapidly established an Islamic republic by excluding diverse revolutionary factions through a continuous "self-cleansing" process. This approach, where the regime takes a maximalist stance on gaining power but a minimalist one on sharing it, has narrowed its popular support base.
A critical opportunity for reform emerged in the late 1990s with Mohammed Khatami's 1997 presidency, but reformists' cautious, non-confrontational strategy "squandered" this chance, allowing the system to suppress dissent. The regime's repressive apparatus has since evolved significantly, employing specialized units and surveillance, making street protests, like those in January 2026 where tens of thousands were killed, extremely perilous. Economically, the 2015 nuclear deal's potential for foreign investment was perceived by Supreme Leader Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards as a threat of "infiltration." Consequently, the regime systematically dismantled Iran's burgeoning tech sector, coercing companies into ceding shares to regime-affiliated financial conglomerates, thus completing a sector takeover and intertwining ideology with economic self-interest. Iran's nuclear file has also advanced, with uranium enrichment exceeding 60%, reducing breakout time to "just over two weeks."
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