Jan 30 (Reuters) - The United States is considering new military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran over its deadly suppression of protests this month.

The complexities of Iran's ruling system, the ideological nature of its support base, and the power of its Revolutionary Guards make it hard to predict its resilience or vulnerability in the face of external attack, or what might come next.

The following explains how the system operates and who the main figures are in today's Iran:

WHY DOES IRAN HAVE A 'SUPREME LEADER'?

Syria's government and Kurdish forces reached a comprehensive deal on Friday to gradually integrate the Kurds' military and civilian institutions into the state, a step Washington described as a "historic milestone".

In recent weeks, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have ceded vast areas of Arab-majority land to government forces.

It was territory they held for years, having seized it in fierce battles against the Islamic State jihadist group during a campaign backed by a US-led coalition.

JERUSALEM, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Israel's military has accepted that around 70,000 Palestinians were killed during the war in Gaza, after having earlier cast doubt on death tolls reported by the enclave's health officials, Israeli media reported on Friday citing senior military officials.

The United Nations has long accepted death tolls recorded by health authorities in Gaza as accurate. Israel has cast doubt on the figures, arguing that the health ministry in the enclave was run by Hamas and could not be trusted.

President Donald Trump predicted on Friday that Iran would seek to negotiate a deal rather than face American military action, despite Tehran warning that its arsenal of missiles would never be up for discussion.

"I can say this, they do want to make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Asked if he had given Iran a deadline to enter talks on its nuclear and missile programs, Trump said "yeah, I have," but refused to say what it was.

By Alexander Cornwell

JERUSALEM, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. military and civilian leaders of Washington's flagship mission for Gaza are stepping aside and their replacements have yet to be made public, diplomats said, as European countries rethink their presence in the initiative to shape post-war Gaza.

The top military officer at the Civil-Military Command Center, a three-star lieutenant general, is expected to be replaced by a U.S. commander of a lower rank, while the top civilian has returned to his job as U.S. ambassador to Yemen.

By Reade Levinson

Jan 30 (Reuters) - Paramilitary fighters kidnapped children during their takeover of the Sudanese city of al-Fashir in October and in other attacks in the Darfur region over the course of Sudan's civil war, in some cases killing their parents first, witnesses say.

The descriptions, based on Reuters interviews with more than two dozen witnesses, included four accounts of fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) telling families the children would be used as slaves, to herd animals.

MOSCOW, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had received a personal request from his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump to halt strikes on Kyiv until February 1 in order to create a favourable environment for peace negotiations.

Asked about the request and Russia's response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined further comment.

Ukraine has said it will reciprocate if Russia forgoes strikes on the country's energy infrastructure amid a period of bitterly cold weather.

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi landed in Istanbul on Friday for talks where Turkey was to offer help to mediate tensions with the United States, which has mooted a possible military strike.

During the visit, Araghchi was to hold talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and also meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement announcing his arrival.

It was not immediately clear at what time the talks would take place but the two ministers were to hold a news conference at 13:45 pm (1045 GMT), the Turkish authorities said.

Israel announced it would reopen the crucial Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday after months of urging from the UN, humanitarian organisations and ordinary Palestinians -- but only for the "limited movement of people".

Earlier on Friday, the Islamist movement Hamas had called for the "immediate transition to the second phase" of the ongoing US-brokered truce in Gaza, namely its provision for the reopening of Rafah, as well as the entry of a technocratic Palestinian committee to administer the territory.

Jan 30 (Reuters) - The Kurdish-led Democratic Syrian Forces said on Friday they had agreed to a comprehensive ceasefire and a phased integration of military and administrative bodies into the Syrian state under a broad deal, following recent clashes.

Under the agreement, forces will withdraw from the front lines, government units will deploy to the centres of Hasakah and Qamishli, and local security forces will be merged.

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir;Editing by Alison Williams)