PERTH, Australia ¨C In the 43 years since its founding, Iran¡¯s Islamic Republic has overcome numerous internal and foreign policy challenges.
But the massive public protests that erupted across the country last month following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after the morality police arrested her for ¡°improperly¡± wearing her hijab, pose a major threat to the regime. Iran is in the grip of what may be its most serious crisis.
When the Islamic Revolution toppled the pro-Western monarchy of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and installed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as the country¡¯s Supreme Leader, Western observers doubted that a theocratic regime would last long. Some analysts argued that religious fundamentalists could not possibly have the necessary skills or experience to run a sophisticated country like Iran.
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