Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, has identified US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the main culprits behind the ongoing protests in the country. In response to Trump’s warning, Larijani stated that Trump and Netanyahu are involved in the killings of Iranian citizens. Earlier, Trump had urged Iranian citizens to continue their protests and identify the perpetrators.
Trump had also asked Iranian authorities to maintain control over their institutions and avoid violent crackdowns on protesters. However, Trump has now canceled all meetings with Iranian officials due to the brutal crackdown on protesters. On the other hand, Russia has stated that the protests in Iran are artificially fueled and have started to subside. Russia has condemned Trump’s threat to attack Iran, calling it unacceptable.
Russia has urged the US not to use the pretext of unrest in Iran to launch a new attack, which would pose a threat to global security. Russia has also rejected the US’s attempt to pressure Iran’s foreign partners through trade sanctions. Germany, Sweden, France, and Norway have confirmed that they will send their troops to Greenland for joint exercises with Denmark this week.
US officials have predicted an increase in crude oil exports from Venezuela in the coming days and weeks. Russia is rapidly transforming its occupied areas in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region into a large military base. Henley Passport Index has released its list of the world’s most powerful passports for the first half of the year.
US President Donald Trump prefers a short but decisive action over a prolonged war: German airline Lufthansa has announced that it will suspend all flights to Israel until January 19. The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland have met with US officials in Washington to discuss negotiations, but Trump’s stance on Greenland’s future remains unchanged.
British authorities have warned that the situation in Iran is deteriorating rapidly, posing risks to diplomatic staff and British citizens. Iran has shut down its airspace to all types of flights, except for international flights with permission. Videos have surfaced showing rioters setting fire to mosques and other locations. An American newspaper has claimed that Iran and Israel have agreed not to launch a preemptive strike.
Iran’s justice minister, Amir-Hossein Garmsar, has stated that the recent unrest in the country was not a protest, but a full-blown civil war. India has dismissed allegations of terrorism as a politically motivated fabrication: India’s foreign minister. Pakistan hopes that peace and stability will prevail in Iran, spokesman says. The Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has called for a boycott of the World Cup in Bangladesh, threatening to withhold players’ salaries. Pakistani TV anchor Iqrar ul Hassan has left Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan. US officials predict an increase in crude oil exports from Venezuela in the coming days and weeks.
