For Iran’s Regime, Better to Take a Beating than Capitulate

It seems natural to assume that relentless pressure will force authoritarian leaders to yield, yet the opposite is often true. When survival is at stake, backing down can be more dangerous than standing firm. This counterintuitive logic has played out repeatedly in the Persian Gulf. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein refused to leave Kuwait in 1991 to avoid humiliation, defections and the threat of a coup. Today, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei faces a similar trap, as giving in to U.S. pressure could weaken his hold at home. History shows that extreme pressure can embolden defiance and absorbing blows can

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