Why Iran Can't Cave

Iran is currently willing to fight on, even though its leaders have been decapitated, the Navy sunk, planes grounded, and soldiers killed. The surviving leaders must be thinking: Am I next?” Yet reasons explain it’s apparently suicidal actions. 1) Allah. The Mullahs are true believers, religious zealots, who believe they are doing Allah’s work on earth. They’ll rather be bombed back to the stone age, as long as Allah will embrace them. Allah will see them through. 2) Iran is not a normal country which understands when it has been defeated. Iran believes it can outlast the United States. 3) Religion: Iran is Shia; the neighbor Mideast countries are Sunni. 4) Power. Power is an aphrodisiac. Those with power seek to keep it, if not gain more power. Power also brings wealth. 5) Face. Surrender remains losing face, not only globally, but with their persecuted people. They will have no longer even have an illusion of strength. 6) The idea of surrending to the "Great Satan," along with the daily "Death to America" chants form a pyscholoogical obstancle to rational thinkoing. 7) Economics. The Republican Guard is the economic entrepreneur in Iran. About half of the oil revenues go to the IRNG. They want to keep it. 8) Fear of Retribution. The remaining leaders and those responsible for the murders of their citizens know the fate that awaits them if they lose power. The survivors and families want revenge; we sometimes call it “justice.” 9) Corruption. Their system has a high degree of corruption.