Iran Protests Grow, Lessons From the Arab Spring Protests

Greg Copley, president of the International Strategic Studies Association, discussed what lessons the United States should take from the Arab Spring protests.
Published: 1/15/2026, 4:42:23 AM EST

Protests in Iran are growing, fueled by economic collapse, drought, and repression. This raises a critical question: could the regime fall?

More than a decade ago, the Arab Spring swept across the Middle East—a wave of pro-democracy protests. Many of those involved fought for political reform, but some uprisings led to chaos, violence, and widespread instability.

What lessons should the United States take from that experience this time? To dig into that, NTD spoke with Greg Copley, president of the International Strategic Studies Association, for his insights.