Iran's hardliners refuse to give up. Despite a string of election defeats, conservatives are fighting reformers with every weapon at their disposal. A key battleground is the press, which has been a pillar of support for President Mohammad Khatami, leader of the reform movement. This week, fundamentalists stepped up their efforts by closing half the liberal papers that had emerged since Mr. Khatami came to power in 1997. This is only the latest move in an increasingly desperate campaign to thwart the will of the majority of the Iranian people. It will fail, but the power struggle could yet erupt in violence.

Since Mr. Khatami came to power in a surprising landslide win, reformers have slowly taken the initiative against the fundamentalists. Mr. Khatami knows that he must proceed carefully to avoid a backlash. He has been successful: The ranks of his followers have grown steadily and liberals swept the parliamentary elections that were held last year.

But the fundamentalists have not conceded defeat. While they have not moved directly against the president, the hardliners have not hesitated to move against individuals who outpace the cautious Mr. Khatami. Their control of many key organs -- the security services, the judiciary, the military and key administrative bodies that oversee elections and the press -- gives them the leverage they need. For example, the Council of Guardians, an oversight commission that must confirm all election results, has overturned the wins of 10 reformers in the last parliamentary vote, and more decisions are pending. Each decision has sparked protests across the country, but the fundamentalists have not been deterred.