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Khamenei Fears a Collapse of the Islamic Revolution

(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Oded Ailam - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has ruled Iran with an iron grip since 1989. He sees himself as the last guardian of the 1979 revolution. His deepest fear? To be remembered as "the last Ayatollah" - the one under whose watch the Islamic revolution collapsed. Though Khamenei often speaks of the "Great Satan" - the United States - his true fear lies within. He remembers well the mass protests of 2009 following elections, and the uprisings of 2019 and 2022. His response was brutal. Hundreds were killed, thousands were arrested. Khamenei understands the West repeatedly backs down from its demands. He remembers well that in past negotiations, the U.S. gave in multiple times - proof that the West lacks stamina for prolonged confrontation. He believes the U.S. will likely avoid direct confrontation, and closely watches for any American movement. If the West wants to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, it must target not just a nuclear agreement, but regime change. This cannot be achieved through military force alone, but through a combination of military strength, economic suffocation, and support for internal unrest. The writer, former head of the Counterterrorism Division in the Mossad, is a researcher at the Jerusalem Center.
2025-06-13 00:00:00
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