Monday, January 5, 2026 | 4:00p.m. Eastern Time

January 5, 2026 | “Is This the End of the Islamic Republic” MEF Briefing

“Is This the End of the Islamic Republic” MEF Briefing

On December 28, the Islamic Republic erupted into its most widespread and violent protests in its 46-year-history. Join with Middle East Forum’s Iran experts to discuss what is happening, what to look for, and where these protests might lead. Most importantly, what might come next?

Register Now:


Loading...

More from MEF
Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) delivered a ruling on Saturday, January 3, that effectively closes the door on judicial independence in the Arab world’s most populous nation.
Middle East Forum Online
Egypt’s Supreme Court Just Gave the State Unlimited Power to Define ‘Terrorism’
This Is Not Merely a Legal Technicality; It Is the Final Act in a Decade-Long Consolidation of Power
January 6, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
The Home Office has established a panel into the "grooming" gangs largely comprised of Muslim men from rural Pakistan who raped more than 250,000 young women from white, working class families in England over the course of decades. The new inquiry comes after decades of denial about the root causes of the abuse, observers state.
FWI News
U.K. to Investigate Role of Islamic Doctrine on Grooming Gangs
Move Comes after Australian Scholar Documented Issue in 2025 Report
January 6, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
Past statements by Amir Ghalib disqualified the former mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, from serving as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait.
FWI Opinion & Interview
Mr. President, Don’t Renominate Amer Ghalib
And While We’re at it, Think Twice About Offering Him Another Post
January 6, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
Iranian rials or IRR banknotes from Iran.
Middle East Forum Observer
Its Allies’ Falls Continue the Destruction of Iran’s Financial Capital
Syria and Venezuela Pledged to Repay Their Debts for Oil and Gas That Iran Exported to Them, but Have Not
January 6, 2026
 · 
Dalga Khatinoglu
While many Iranians facing conscription into the army join the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its comparative benefits, many others join its feeder organizations as young as eight years old and become true believers in its ideology.
Middle East Forum Online
Coming Soon: The Iran Civil War of 2026?
Even If Iran’s Current Protests Intensify, a Clean Democratic Transition Is Unlikely
January 5, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reportedly has been in hiding since Israel's airstrikes began.
Middle East Forum Online
Why the Iranian Regime Endures
Protests Have Broken Out Across the Country. We’ve Been Here Before.
January 5, 2026
 · 
Saeid Golkar
Venezuela's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, was installed as president on January 5, 2026.
Middle East Forum Observer
U.S. Plans for Venezuela’s Transition Offers a Cautionary Tale for Iran
There May Be No Inexpensive or Low-Risk Way for a Foreign Power to Engineer a Smooth Political Transition in a Volatile Country
January 5, 2026
 · 
Mardo Soghom
Iran has relied on its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and paramilitary Basij to quell peaceful student and youth-led protests.
Middle East Forum Observer
Arm Iran’s Youth
Providing Weapons and Training to Young Iranians Could Weaken the Islamic Republic from Within, Hastening Its Collapse
January 5, 2026
 · 
Elliot Nazar
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with U.S. President Donald Trump at a September 30, 2025, meeting on Middle East issues at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Middle East Forum Observer
Is Maduro’s Past Erdoğan’s Future?
It Is One Thing to Bomb Unarmed Kurdish Farmers—It Is Another to Face U.S. Special Forces
January 4, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
Middle East Forum Online
No Home for Brown Rich Kids
How the West Mistook Elite Activism for Moral Renewal in the Arab World
January 4, 2026
 · 
Hussein Aboubakr Mansour