Iran Endgame? Protests, Repression, and the Trump Administration

Join us for an expert look at the rapidly changing situation in Iran. Watch live starting at 11:00 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

Washingtoninstitute / by Holly Dagres, Michael Eisenstadt, Richard Nephew

Anti-regime protests have spread to all thirty-one Iranian provinces. Tehran—already weakened by strikes against its nuclear program, missile program, and proxy network—has responded with brutality, arresting and killing civilians and imposing a near-total internet and phone blackout. International condemnation of the regime is surging, and President Trump has vowed to respond to Tehran’s crackdown with force, but many questions remain about the objective of potential U.S. strikes and what should come next.

To discuss policy responses to the turbulence in Iran, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum with Holly Dagres, Michael Eisenstadt, and Richard Nephew, moderated by the Institute’s managing director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow, Michael Singh.

Holly Dagres is the Libitzky Family Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and curator of The Iranist newsletter.

Michael Eisenstadt is the Institute’s Kahn Senior Fellow and director of its Military and Security Studies Program.

Richard Nephew is the Bernstein Adjunct Fellow at the Institute and former U.S. deputy special envoy for Iran.

The Policy Forum series is made possible through the generosity of the Florence and Robert Kaufman Family.