Three decades after Khomeinist thugs raided the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Westerners are puzzled by Iran. As a nation, Iranians still like the United States. As a revolutionary regime, however, Iran is the principal bastion of anti-Americanism. From Ayatollah Khomeini’s “historic mission” to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s messianic campaign in the name of the “Hidden Imam,” The Persian Night depicts a trajectory that will most likely lead to war. More importantly, it addresses the vital question of how the Iranian regime can be resisted and defeated, enabling Iran to close the chapter of revolution and return to the mainstream of nation-states.

AMIR TAHERI has published ten books, some of which have been translated into twenty languages. He is a commentator for CNN and the BBC and is a regular contributor to the National Review and New York Post. He lives in London.