ONCE AGAIN, Iran is front and center in the international arena. The Ahmadinejad administration continues to push the envelope, forcing an international reaction that may include a military attack. Meanwhile, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to consolidate his power, emerging as the most powerful president since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

The escalation of tensions between Iran and the international community over Iran’s nuclear program is but another manifestation of the de facto militarization of the Islamic regime. This trend became apparent with the brutal suppression of the popular protests following the fraudulent presidential election in June.

The suppression was designed to quell once and for all the vast democracy movement and instead establish a...