Why the Ayatollah Can’t Surrender. Who Benefits from a Beaten Iran

Iran’s fall would mark the collapse of the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary model — a Shia theocracy that challenged Western and Sunni dominance for over 45 years. Its collapse would:

Elevate Israel militarily and diplomatically
Validate U.S. hegemony and regional partnerships
Restore Saudi Arabia as the de facto leader of the Muslim world
But such a victory would also create a volatile power vacuum that, if not managed with extraordinary care, could birth something even more dangerous than what came before.