Two months ago, the Iranian regime was at its most perilous state since it came to power in 1979...But excitement among regime opponents abroad over the prospect of its downfall quickly turned to horror as the Islamist theocracy launched a brutal crackdown, killing as many as 30,000 protesters, according to some counts. While airstrikes and targeted killings of leaders have weakened the regime materially, they may also be reinforcing its internal cohesion, hardening its capacity for repression, and exposing the absence of any credible political alternative...If the Islamic Republic is to fall — with a more welcome replacement taking power...