Editor's note: Fawaz A. Gerges holds the Christian A. Johnson Chair in Middle Eastern Studies and International Affairs at Sarah Lawrence College. His most recent book is "The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global." Fawaz Gerges says the elite running Iran has lost the support of two key groups -- women and young voters. (CNN) -- With an apparent political coup in Iran by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his supporters over the weekend, the ruling mullahs have dispensed with all democratic pretense and joined the ranks of traditional dictators in the Middle East. The hardliners in Tehran, led by the Revolutionary Guards and ultraconservatives, have won the first round against reformist conservatives but at an extravagant cost: loss of public support.
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Fawaz Gerges: Iran's ruling mullahs forfeited their public support in the election
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Gerges: Ruling mullahs are out of step with women and young voters
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He says hardliners are swimming against the current of Iranian society
Many young men reportedly roamed @placeholder streets looking for a fight with the police.
In a message on state TV, he urged the nation to unite behind @placeholder, calling the result a "divine assessment."