I’m the very opposite of an optimist but I’m getting the impression that what’s going on in Iran is quite different from the previous protest movements of the last dozen or so years.

It is impossible to overstate the seismic disaster that was, and is, the Islamic Revolution. Aside from the human rights aspect, from a purely geopolitical standpoint it completely shifted the ground in the Middle East and, for that matter, the world.

The Islamic Revolution birthed and fueled terror, inspiring jihadists across the globe. It completely changed the position of Iran as an ally of the West, the United States and liberalism.

It is, in many respects, analogous to the 1917 Revolution and the installation of the Soviet dictatorship.

The Islamic Republic is, like the Soviet Union, an imperialistic revolutionary regime. It has spread terror far from Iran’s shores, enabling genocide and bloodletting on every continent. The butcher’s bill of the regime is long.

Ferdinand Foch famously said: “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” My thoughts, prayers and admiration are with the brave protesters.

If you’re reading this, I’d encourage you to call your representatives and demand that they offer their support to those in the streets.

And if you’re in DC @Tahmineh Dehbozorgi and (I hope) a great many others will be at Farragut tomorrow at 5pm doing a candlelight vigil.