There is still much to unfold. But one thing already seems clear: a rare opportunity for the Iranian people to challenge the regime has slipped away, likely the result of a miscalculation that will be studied for years.

The spark was there. Tens of thousands of young Iranians took to the streets, only to be brutally crushed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That moment carried the potential to evolve into something far greater.

What was missing was synchronization.

Had internal unrest aligned with external pressure, had Israel and the United States acted in parallel with those protests, had Kurdish forces provided coordinated support on the ground, and had a strong, widely recognized leader emerged to guide the revolt, the trajectory might have been very different.

Instead, timing faltered. Donald Trump signaled support to the Iranian people before a broader, coordinated strategy had taken shape, “help is on the way.” In moments like these, sequencing........

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