The Boomerang risk: How Trump’s ‘help’ could save Khamenei’s regime in Iran

History suggests outside military pressure often ends up rescuing Tehran. Even the prospect of US or Israeli strikes can redirect public anger away from regime misrule and toward sheer national survival, splinter protest alliances, and give authorities cover for a far harsher crackdown. At a time when Iran’s leadership is fighting to reassert control, foreign force could deliver its most potent weapon: nationalism.