This report from the Washington Institute argues that there remains considerable potential for a ‘velvet revolution’ from within Iran. It argues that religious leaders in Iran worry that the Islamic revolution's enemies could recruit people through nongovernmental organizations dedicated to humanitarian, child welfare, trade union, environmental, and antidrug issues. Accordingly, any social or cultural activity outside the regime's supervision remains subject to suspicion, especially in the wake of the "color" revolutions that led to the replacement of leaders inGeorgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan--countries close to Iran's borders.
