January 16, 2025 | The Forum Roundtable:
Iran Protests Update: Maximum Pressure, Maximum Support

With an economy in free fall, water supplies dwindling, and basic human rights barely existent, Iran’s citizens have finally had enough. What triggered the current, ever-growing protests and what makes them different? Whereas past administrations ignored internal dissent in Iran, or even sided with the Mullahs, President Trump has made it clear that this time the U.S. is on the side of the citizens of Iran who are seeking freedom, democracy, and a prosperous and peaceful future. He has said that the U.S. is “locked and loaded and ready to go” if the Islamist regime starts killing its citizens.

Will the momentum hold and what will berequired to finally bring down this regime and usher in a new day of hope for the people of Iran? What is happening on the ground daily and how pervasive are the protests across the country? What does the day after look like and what role can the U.S. and other nations play in helping to implement change and support the movement? What can we expect to see from the IRGC and Iranian proxies in the region as events play out? For an in-depth analysis addressing all these questions, please join us for The Forum Roundtable featuring Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, and Jason Brodsky, Policy Director at United Against a Nuclear Iran.

Behnam Ben Taleblu is the senior director of FDD’s Iran Program and a senior fellow specializing in Iranian security and political affairs, overseeing the organization’s comprehensive Iran-focused research. With more than a decade of experience at FDD and prior work on nonproliferation at a Washington-based arms control think tank, he leverages his subject-matter expertise and native Persian-language skills to analyze issues ranging from Iran’s nuclear program and missile capabilities to sanctions, the IRGC, and internal Iranian politics. A frequent briefer to policymakers and international audiences, he has testified before the U.S. Congress, the Canadian Parliament, and the UK House of Commons, and his analysis has appeared widely in leading print and broadcast outlets. He holds an M.A. in international relations from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from George Washington University’s Elliott School and serves on the ADL Task Force on Middle East Minorities and as a contributing editor to National Security Journal.

Jason Brodsky is the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and an affiliate at the Middle East Institute, with prior experience as a senior Middle East analyst and editor at Iran International TV and in multiple roles at the Wilson Center, including as special assistant to former Congresswoman Jane Harman. His research focuses on Iranian leadership dynamics, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s proxy network, U.S. Middle East policy, and Iran–Israel relations, and he has extensive experience in foreign policy speechwriting. A frequent media commentator, his work has appeared in leading publications and broadcast outlets, and he holds degrees from Brandeis University, the University of Miami School of Law, and Georgetown University Law Center.

Lauri B. Regan serves as vice president, treasurer, and board member of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, a board member of Polaris National Security, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Middle East Forum, where she also hosts The Forum Roundtable, a monthly podcast featuring leading national security experts. A former attorney with 30 years of legal experience, including as senior counsel at White & Case LLP, she is a frequent writer and speaker on antisemitism, U.S.–Israel relations, and national security, with bylines innumerous prominent outlets and appearances in major media forums. Ms. Regan holds a B.A. from Emory University and a J.D. with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law.