Will Iran’s regime fall? How the crisis unfolds will transform the Middle East

Iran is now the land of darkness. All telephone lines are cut, and the internet has been down for days. There are no international flights in or out of the country, and no foreign journalist is allowed anywhere near the place. It is as if someone has used scissors to gouge a hole in the world’s map.

All assessments made about the

country’s present condition

and prospects must, therefore, remain speculative. We don’t know much about the current size of the anti-government demonstrations that have shaken Iran since the start of this year. Nor can we form an opinion about the extent of the government’s crackdown; estimates about the number of people shot dead range between the hundreds and the thousands. And, of course, we have no clear idea of who or what may prevail in this showdown.