Iran’s Regime Is Weaker Than It Looks

For five and a half years, I was a hostage of the Islamic Republic of Iran. During that time, I came to believe something about the regime that may seem improbable from the outside: It is far weaker than it looks. Today, I believe we are closer to its end than many Americans realize.As America approaches the November midterm elections, calls to turn inward will inevitably rise. There will be arguments that we have done enough, that the Islamic Republic is someone else’s problem, that the costs are too high or the outcome too uncertain. Giving in to that temptation would be a historic mistake.After 47 years, the regime that has inflicted unimaginable misery on its own people and helped spread militant extremism throughout the Middle East may be approaching its final act. This is not the moment to lose our resolve.Long before Americans became familiar with terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, al-Qaeda, and ISIS, and long before the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Islamic Republic was using religious extremism, hostage-taking, and terrorism as instruments of statecraft. It directly nurtured organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas and helped create a regional environm...