DUBAI/LONDON ¨C Iran¡¯s theocratic rulers have seen off a U.S. military campaign but their real problems may be about to begin: managing the competing demands of hard-liners buoyed by surviving the onslaught and those of an impoverished, angry people.
Iran¡¯s powerful hard-liners are energized by a three-month confrontation they feel Iran has won. They want the leadership to take a tough stance in coming talks with the U.S. and prioritize rearming, confident they can halt any internal dissent with force.
Ordinary Iranians, however, are desperate for any peace dividend or financial relief to be used in raising living standards and offering better prospects after a destructive war that has followed years of painful sanctions.
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