As protests in Iran enter a third month, the persistence of this unrest presents challenges for Iran’s theocratic system. But the fact that Iran’s demonstrators are battling an entire system and not just an autocratic ruler or ruling clique should be reason to doubt predictions that it is a matter of when, not if, the Iranian regime will fall.
The Iranian government lacks popular legitimacy, as evidenced by low voting turnouts. But that does not mean that it lacks a powerful domestic support base.