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And let's be honest: a free, powerful Iran is the ultimate nightmare for the regional status quo. It winds down the Houthis, ends the Hamas and Hezbollah money pipeline, drops the risk of Persian Gulf energy shocks, and helps Saudi Arabia stamp out its own religious extremists. Lebanon and Syria come back to life as independent nations, and Iraq's Iranian intelligence penetration and chaotic militias lose their power.

It's bad news for Bibi, who loses his version of the "Great Satan" distraction, and even worse news for the Kremlin. It reduces the amount of money the U.S. pours into Israel as a strategic counterweight to Iran's current regime. China loses access to Iran's black market and low-cost oil. It's a win-win.

The Mullahs are a relic of a darker age, and their expiration date is long overdue. Trump talked tough against them a week ago, but on Thursday seemingly shrugged at the violence the Iranian government is deploying against protestors. Of course, the IGRC and the mullahs will deploy maximum violence, but this time it feels like the tide is shifting faster than even they can withstand.

It's time to see if America can remember how to root for actual freedom instead of just transactional strongmen.