Although the Iran protests seem to have slid into memory as far as our news media is concerned, they are still happening and the leadership situation is far from resolved.
One thing to keep in mind here is the difference in time that we perceive and time that actually passes. Revolutions sound fast, but they aren’t all that fast in terms of 24-hour news-cycles. The anti-shah protests of the original 1979 Iranian revolution began in late 1977 and continued for more than a year before the shah left power.
This all works to the existing regime’s advantage. One can hardly imagine a narrative arc that continues for that long without boredom setting in for media coverage, particularly when Iran cracks down on foreign media. All the green-wearing was a frenzy that burned brightly for a few days, only to disappear after a week.
Consider even longer-term “revolutions” that met strict crackdowns. The Prague Spring was 20 years too early; Tiananmen Square even more so. The moment of outrage matters less than what comes next.
