http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8509765.stmThousands of Iranians, on the 31st anniversary of the revolution, are more split than ever within the republic. The Islamic Republic had never had any real protests until last year; the governement there is now permanently off balance, helped along by the driving force of opposition leaders demanding change and of course the rising power of the virtual revolution; twitter has, through ordinary Iranians, learned how to squawk and squawk loudly.
This is probably one of the decisive conflicts of our generation; a pro-freedom revolt in one of the main bastions of fundamentalist intolerance in the middle east would be an perhaps destabilising step in the region but would nevertheless deal a major blow to those who see Iran as a powerhouse able to resist modernity through strength of arms.
As ever, the world watches.
