Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 5, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 5, 2026
Islamic Republic in ‘survival mode’ amid protests, Iranian officials said to believe
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In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he speaks in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, January 3, 2026. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
Senior officials in Iran have acknowledged that the country has been “thrust into survival mode” amid growing protests against the Islamic Republic’s regime, three Iranian officials familiar with government deliberations tell The New York Times.
After US President Donald Trump threatened to intervene if Iran killed peaceful protesters on Friday, the country’s Supreme National Security Council, in charge of the country’s security, held a meeting to discuss how to temper the protests without reacting violently and avoid fueling the rage toward the regime, the three Iranian officials tell the Times.
The council also prepared for a scenario where Iran was hit with military strikes, the report says.
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