Iran's Unyielding Grip: Why 17 Years of Protests Fail to Topple the Regime

• Iran has faced repeated waves of protests over 17 years, yet the clerical establishment remains entrenched and often more brutal.
• The regime's survival is due to a ruthless strategy, including the extensive domestic security apparatus of the IRGC and Basij.
• The Basij, a paramilitary arm, acts as a social network of informants, infiltrates protests, and instigates violence, loyal directly to the Supreme Leader.
• Iran employs psychological warfare, torturing and releasing dissenters to instill fear, and maintains a vast surveillance state with internet shutdowns and cyber monitoring.
• Overthrowing the regime would require security force defections, a unified protest leadership, and economic paralysis, none of which have occurred significantly.

Why It Matters: Despite 17 years of protests, Iran's regime endures due to its brutal security, surveillance, and lack of unified opposition.