Iran: From reform to revolution?

Iran today is on the verge of its most acute crisis since the 1979 revolution, as the political impasse of the past few years is turning to active confrontation between a restive populace and an inflexible theocracy. In contrast to the triumph of reformist candidates in the 2000 elections, which fostered hopes of a democratic breakthrough, the political climate leading up to the February elections reflected the success of the conservative backlash. However, the success of the conservatives' strategy contains the seeds of their own destruction. By obstructing a peaceful reform movement, the hardliners have ensured that the popular clamour for change will escape the confines of conventional politics and assert itself through defiance and protest.