Daniel Pipes says that the Iranian mullahcracy, and eventually Islamism itself, is doomed.

By virtue of getting more or less what they wanted in 1979 (i.e. no Shah), the Iranian population realized it had control over and responsibility over its destiny. This development, unknown among Arabic-speaking populations, has led to something quite profound and wondrous: a maturation of the Iranian body politic. It has looked at its choices and thumpingly comes down in favour of democracy and a cautious foreign policy.

The contrast between the maturity of Iranian politics and the puerile quality of Arab politics could hardly be greater. Yes, both are dominated by tyrannical regimes, but Iranians can see their way out of the darkness. It is conceivable that before too long, the apparently disastrous Iranian revolution of 1978-79 will be looked back on as the inadvertent start of something wholesome and necessary.