01/16/2026
“The challenge is whether the Iranian people can be joined by those inside the regime who will shake their hands and agree to change the system from within,” MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka emphasized at our briefing on the latest unrest in Iran. He was joined by Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, USN (Ret.), and Nadereh Chamlou in a conversation moderated by MEI VP for Policy Ken Pollack. Together, they assessed where the protests may be headed, how the regime is responding, and what role the US could play.
Watch the full conversation: https://mei.edu/events/assessing-the-dangerous-unrest-in-iran/