Iran's clerical rulers are likely to survive the protests sweeping the country and could remain in power for years, Amit Saar, chief analyst at Israeli military intelligence, told Reuters.

"The repressive Iranian regime will, it seems, manage to survive these protests," said Brigadier General Amit Saar, who as head of research at the Israeli military intelligence agency is responsible for national strategic forecasts. 

"It has constructed very, very strong tools for dealing with such protests," he told the first public conference by the Gazit Institute, a think-tank that operates under his corps.

"But I think that even if these protests wane, the reasons (for them) will remain, and thus the Iranian regime has a problem for years to come."

Later, speaking at the forum, military intelligence commander Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva added that "Seen long-term, it would appear this regime will not survive." "I'm not in a position to give a date. We are not prophets," he cautioned. "I recommend that we all be far more modest, with far more caveats, when it comes to the conduct of societies."