The Iranian regime has survived for more than four decades — weathering war, sanctions, and repeated waves of popular unrest.

A new investigation by DW's investigative unit and Persian service asks a question that goes to the heart of its ongoing survival: Who keeps the regime from crumbling?

DW's investigative unit spent months secretly corresponding with two high-ranking defectors from Iran's security apparatus.

They describe a system that doesn't just crush opposition — but is built to prevent its own people from ever choosing to resist.