The anti-government protests that started in Tehran this weekend show that the opposition movement still has plenty of fight in it—and could eventually topple the clerical regime. Though the fraudulent election was a full 6 months ago, the protesters, whose efforts reach the world on YouTube, appear uncowed by riot police and Basij strongmen. That suggests the regime's usual weapons of oppression have lost some of their punch.
The Islamic republic's "power over these past 30 years has been intimidation of anyone who's dissented," says one Iran expert, who calls the current protests "the most significant challenge" the regime has yet faced. "I think they've taken the Iranian authorities by surprise," another analyst tells CNN. "They're still coming out in huge numbers, and morale seems to be stronger amongst the opposition than among the security forces. This could very well end up being one of those indicators that this is going cause a dramatic change, not only in Iran but in the region as a whole."
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