The Threshold of Fear: Why 2026 Marks the End of the Islamic Republic

The bazaar, historically the financial backbone of the religious establishment, has finally severed its ties. The merchant strikes of early 2026 in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran represent a symbolic divorce. When the shopkeepers—who supported the 1979 revolution—close their doors in protest, it signifies that the regime can no longer provide the basic market stability required for the nation’s traditional heart to beat.