The waves of change are indeed sweeping across the shores of the Middle East and North Africa. However, the Islamist regime in Iran is better geared to suppressing internal dissent than other regional autocracies and, therefore, has better prospects of surviving the crisis--for now at least.

Ten days after the blatantly rigged presidential election, Iran is descending into darkness.

These demonstrations may not topple the regime, but they serve as a reminder of the will of the Iranian people to resist dictatorship.

Four more years with Ahmadinejad will provide more change, but is it change for the better?

It is too early to tell whether the revolutions sweeping across the Arab world will prove the long awaited "third wave of democratization." It is clear, however, that no regional regime is immune to their impact, not even the self-proclaimed vanguard of permanent world revolutions, the Islamist regime in Tehran.

The Islamic Republic leadership will likely increase terror tactics to secure its survival in the face of a strengthening opposition.

Regardless of who wins the Iranian election, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be the true victor because the president is subservient to him.

In its support of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential election, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is assuming an unprecedented role in politics.