Iran may survive the bombing, but it may not survive the peace. As U.S. and Israeli strikes pile up, former intelligence officials have warned that the real crisis for Tehran's rulers will arrive when the fighting stops, "Hvylya" reports, citing the Washington Post.

Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former CIA officer focused on Iran and now a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the regime is acutely aware of its domestic fragility. "They're always thinking about internal politics, and they know ... their disfavor, to put it politely," he said, pointing to the waves of anti-government protests Iran has weathered in recent years.

A prolonged conflict might serve Tehran's interests in the short term by rallying nationalist sentiment and justifying a crackdown. But the immense physical destruction would leave the government less capable of addressing the grievances that fueled past unrest - and could spark new waves of protest. "Eventually, in a long war, almost nothing's going to really work in Iran," Gerecht said.

The most dangerous moment, in his assessment, is not the war itself. "The most critical moments for them is not during the battle when they hold out against the pummeling, it's when the pummeling stops," he said.

Messages of defiance from Iranian leaders marking Nowruz on Friday underscored the tension between public bravado and private anxiety. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf promised that the new year "will be a year of delivering a strong blow to Iran's enemies" and that the country "will emerge from these storms with pride and stronger than before."

But on the eve of the holiday, the regime also announced three executions - among the first since Trump claimed in January to have prevented hundreds with threats of military force. Those executed included Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old national wrestling team member accused of attacking police during recent protests that Iran suppressed with overwhelming violence, killing thousands. Israeli intelligence assessments suggest the regime is on an irreversible path to collapse.

Also read: Only 10-20% Support the Regime: Iranian Studies Director Exposes the Real Balance of Power in Iran.