https://pjmedia.com/michaelledeen/2010/09/14/iran-sinks-into-the-muck/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 03:59:57 -0400<![CDATA[It is hard to know where to begin with Iran these days. Many commentators are telling us that there is considerable “infighting” within the regime, which is certainly true. But so far I have not seen anyone point out that these conflicts are not merely political. We are witnessing, I believe, a struggle for survival, both within the regime and between the regime and the opposition. All those explosions &#8212; big explosions &#8212; at the natural gas pipelines running from Iran to Turkey, to Russia, and to Afghanistan cannot possibly be accidents. The latest took place last night (I haven&#8217;t seen press reports yet, perhaps because Ahmadinejad has ordered oil and gas facilities to censor any news about disasters), two of them:  one at a petrochemical plant on an offshore island that destroyed a polyethylene plant and pipeline, the other against a pipeline from Bandar Abbas to Bushehr.]]>Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:45:14 -0400<![CDATA[Michael Ledeen]]>https://pjmedia.com/michael-ledeen/2010/09/14/iran-sinks-into-the-muck-n187009