The mass protests in Iran are highly unlikely to change the country's political system, but their persistence will drive domestic instability, harden the government against social reforms, and damage Iran's foreign relationships. Over the past two months, Iran has seen large-scale anti-government protests following the in-custody death of a young woman who was arrested for improperly wearing her hijab. The government has responded with a heavy-handed crackdown, resulting in clashes with security forces that activists say have so far killed over 400 protesters. But thousands of Iranians have nonetheless continued to take to the streets nationwide, even in the face of violence and repression. This resilience — along with the size and geographic scope of the demonstrations — has drawn a significant amount of international attention and solidarity. It has also stoked questions about the movement's political consequences.