Is Iran finally on the brink of revolutionary change? Since the current round of protests broke out late last month, all eyes have been on the Iranian “street,” where more and more citizens are turning out in opposition to the country’s clerical regime. As the demonstrations have spread, hopes have risen in the West that this time the political ferment might prove decisive and finally bring about a fundamental political transformation in Tehran. Perhaps it will. But for the moment, the protests unfolding across Iran still seem to be missing two key ingredients. 

The first is inspiration. It’s clear that the Iranian people are deeply discontented over the malaise that has come to characterize clerical rule. And they have plenty of reason to be. 

Iran’s currency is in freefall, inflation is soaring, and ordinary Iranians are increasingly struggling to make ends meet. The regime’s response to all this—offering citizens the equivalent of $7 a month to alleviate economic hardship—is far too little, and much too late.

At the same time, the country is in the throes of a nationwide resource crisis so severe that officials

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