Cruz Urges Arming Iran Protesters as U.S. Carrier Deploys and Iran‑Backed Militias Threaten 'Total War' Against America
Mass anti‑government protests sparked by economic collapse and soaring inflation have spread across dozens of cities in Iran, with rights groups reporting anywhere from hundreds to several thousand killed and thousands detained amid a near‑nationwide internet blackout and efforts to block Starlink. In response, the U.S. has publicly warned Tehran—President Trump saying America is “locked and loaded” as a carrier strike group moves toward the region and the U.S. Embassy urged citizens to leave—while Sen. Ted Cruz urged arming protesters and Iran‑backed militias (including Kataib Hezbollah) and Iranian leaders have threatened retaliation, even warning U.S. bases and forces would be legitimate targets.
📌 Key Facts
- Widespread anti‑government protests that began Dec. 28 over dire economic conditions and hyperinflation have spread from dozens to several hundred locations across most provinces, featuring anti‑regime and pro‑monarchy chants, clashes with security forces, attacks on some government sites and funerals that have turned into demonstrations.
- Casualty and detention figures are highly contested and have risen over time as verification has been hampered by a near‑nationwide internet and phone blackout; human‑rights groups (HRANA and others) have reported deaths ranging from dozens early on to hundreds and then thousands in later tallies (reports cited figures from the tens to 5,000+ and higher), while official counts and independent verification remain limited.
- President Trump repeatedly signaled U.S. support for protesters: early Jan. Truth Social posts warned that if Iran "shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters" "the United States of America will come to their rescue" and that the U.S. was "locked and loaded," later posts canceled meetings with Iranian officials, urged protesters to "KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS," and he said the U.S. would take "very strong action" if executions of protesters occurred.
- The U.S. has moved forces toward the region amid the crisis: the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group (about 5,000 sailors and Marines) and additional destroyers and littoral combat ships were reported in the Indian Ocean en route to the Middle East, senior U.S. officials held national‑security meetings, and the White House said it was weighing military options — including strikes — while emphasizing diplomacy as the first option.
- Tehran’s political and security establishment pushed back forcefully: senior officials (including Ali Larijani, Ali Shamkhani, Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei) accused foreign interference, warned of decisive retaliation to intervention, and Iranian parliament and security figures said U.S. forces and bases in the region would be legitimate targets if the U.S. attacked Iran.
- Iran‑aligned militias and allied groups issued their own threats: Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah warned it was prepared for "total war" against the U.S., and Yemen’s Houthi movement threatened to resume Red Sea attacks on shipping, escalating the risk of broader regional confrontation.
- Authorities sharply restricted communications to isolate the unrest: Iran imposed broad internet and telephony cutoffs, state media labeled protesters "terrorists," and rights groups say the government has targeted Starlink users (while activists and smugglers sought to bring terminals into Iran); U.S. actors including the Virtual Embassy advised Americans to leave the country.
- Political actors amplified pressure and interventionist calls: exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged mass protests and appealed directly to Trump; U.S. senators (including Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham) publicly urged more forceful measures — Cruz explicitly calling to "arm the protesters" — while other international leaders warned the regime’s reliance on violence could mark its decline.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (2)
Can Iran Hold the Line Against Its Protesters?
"The WSJ opinion piece argues that Iran’s nationwide protests expose a generational and ideological rupture that presents an existential dilemma for the regime — and that foreign threats of military intervention (including President Trump’s) are unlikely to deter hardliners or resolve the underlying internal crisis."
World on fire
"A POLITICO Playbook column argues that the Trump administration’s foreign‑policy posture — from Iran (threats and military posturing) to Greenland (allied troop moves) to Venezuela (raid fallout) — has created a global cascade of crises, highlighting allied alarm, risky military options, and a presidency consumed by unpredictable, destabilizing international entanglements."
🔬 Explanations (3)
Deeper context and explanatory frameworks for understanding this story
Phenomenon: Massive protests in Iran triggered by economic woes
Explanation: Internal factors such as corruption, economic mismanagement, chronic budget deficits, lack of investment, and poor policies have created structural vulnerabilities, exacerbated by international sanctions that limit economic recovery and increase inflation
Evidence: Analysis identifies internal mismanagement as primary, with sanctions amplifying issues like currency collapse and rising food prices, leading to widespread discontent and protests
Alternative view: Geopolitical escalations, such as the 2024 Israel-Iran conflict, contributing to economic instability through disrupted trade and increased military spending
💡 Complicates the coverage's implicit narrative of protests as solely due to external pressures by highlighting internal regime failures, shifting blame from foreign actors to domestic policy shortcomings
Phenomenon: Iranian protesters emboldened by U.S. messaging under Trump
Explanation: Vocal U.S. support and threats of intervention provide moral encouragement to protesters, signaling potential international backing against the regime and contrasting with perceived inaction during previous administrations
Evidence: Historical analysis shows that U.S. rhetoric can rally opposition by fostering hope for external support, as seen in past protests where silence was interpreted as abandonment
Alternative view: null
💡 Enhances the coverage's mention of emboldenment by explaining the mechanism of hope for intervention, adding depth to how foreign policy rhetoric influences domestic unrest
Phenomenon: Iranian military's threats of preemptive action against U.S. rhetoric
Explanation: Rhetorical aggression serves as a tool to unify the population, deter potential aggressors, and project strength amid internal instability, rooted in the regime's post-revolutionary ideology and survival strategies
Evidence: The rhetoric emerged post-1979 revolution to consolidate power and has been instrumentalized through media to respond to perceived threats, enhancing regime cohesion during crises
Alternative view: Direct response to specific U.S. actions, such as interventions in allied regimes like Venezuela, heightening fears of similar U.S. involvement in Iran
💡 null
📰 Source Timeline (31)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 28, 2026
2:36 AM
Ted Cruz urges US to arm Iranian protesters as militias threaten ‘total war’ against America
New information:
- Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X that the U.S. "should be arming the protesters in Iran. NOW," arguing overthrowing the Ayatollah would make America safer.
- Cruz’s call was in response to a detailed message from an Iranian source, via Tehran Bureau, describing protests as 'literally suicide' without weapons because security forces are shooting and even beheading demonstrators.
- Human Rights Activists News Agency estimate cited that more than 6,000 people have been killed in the crackdown, with additional cases under review.
- Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, through leader Abu Hussein al‑Hamidawi, warned it is prepared for "total war" and promised U.S. 'enemies' will face 'the bitterest forms of death' if America attacks Iran.
- Yemen’s Houthis threatened to resume Red Sea attacks on shipping, releasing a video of a vessel engulfed in flames captioned "Soon".
- The piece reiterates that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has arrived in the region and that Trump believes Tehran is seeking negotiations.
January 24, 2026
3:19 PM
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warns U.S. as warships head toward Middle East
New information:
- IRGC ground forces commander Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, via Nournews, warned the U.S. and Israel to 'avoid any miscalculation' and said the Guards are 'more ready than ever, finger on the trigger.'
- CBS specifies the carrier is the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group, and quotes an unnamed U.S. Navy official saying it is in the Indian Ocean as it heads toward the region.
- Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, linked the carrier move explicitly to Iran and said the U.S. has a 'massive fleet heading in that direction' that he 'maybe won't have to use.'
- Iran’s top prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi publicly and specifically denied Trump’s claim that Iran halted the execution of 800 detainees, saying no such judicial decision exists.
- European airlines including Air France, Luxair, KLM and Transavia suspended or delayed flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv out of concern over the growing regional tension.
- HRANA’s protest death toll is updated to 5,137, with activists expecting that figure to rise as information trickles out through an extended nationwide internet blackout.
January 23, 2026
11:55 PM
Trump says "armada" of warships heading to Iran
New information:
- CBS segment confirms Trump personally described a large deployment as an 'armada' of warships heading toward Iran 'just in case' and ties the remark to protests that have been ongoing for nearly a month.
- The clip anchors the 'armada' language to a specific TV appearance and shows mainstream networks framing the move as contingency planning rather than immediate war orders.
- CBS national security contributor Sam Vinograd is brought in to provide real‑time context, underscoring that major networks see the deployment and rhetoric as significant enough to warrant expert analysis.
6:43 PM
Trump says "armada" of warships is headed towards Iran "just in case"
New information:
- Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that an 'armada' of U.S. warships is headed toward the Middle East 'just in case' as he monitors Iran’s protest crackdown.
- Defense officials say the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, with about 5,000 sailors and Marines, is in the Indian Ocean and could reach the Middle East within days.
- The Lincoln CSG will join two destroyers (USS McFaul and USS Mitscher) and three littoral combat ships, adding to a broader U.S. naval buildup that now also includes ships redirected from a Venezuela oil‑tanker 'quarantine'.
January 14, 2026
2:05 AM
Trump on Iran, Renee Good, Jerome Powell and his own morality
New information:
- In a Ford plant interview with CBS, Trump again threatened 'very strong action' if Iran begins hanging protesters and described the protest death toll as likely 'pretty substantial' while saying no one has given him accurate numbers.
- He framed his Iran 'endgame' as simply 'to win,' citing the recent capture of Nicolás Maduro, earlier strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and past killings of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as examples of his approach.
- Asked about domestic focus, Trump claimed 'we have the strongest economy, maybe in the history of our country,' asserted 'there's no inflation' despite the latest 2.7% CPI reading, and said his presidential power is primarily limited by his own morality.
January 13, 2026
10:07 PM
Trump says the U.S. will take 'very strong action' against Iran if the regime starts hanging protesters
New information:
- Confirms the 'very strong action' comments came in a CBS News interview with anchor Tony Dokoupil and gives the back‑and‑forth that led to Trump’s remarks.
- Adds Trump’s formulation that 'if they want to have protests, that's one thing' but that 'when they start killing thousands of people' it creates 'a lot of problems for them,' sharpening how he frames the red line.
- Provides Trump’s response when told about alleged plans to begin hanging protesters on Wednesday, including his line to Dokoupil that 'you'll perhaps be very happy' with the U.S. reaction.
- Reiterates Trump’s claim that the U.S. has 'put Iran out of business with their nuclear capacity' and his assertion that casualty counts are unclear but 'could be a pretty substantial number.'
9:12 PM
Trump warns U.S. "will take very strong action" if Iran hangs protesters
New information:
- Trump tells CBS he will take 'very strong action' if Iran begins hanging anti‑government protesters, explicitly tying possible U.S. response to that execution method.
- CBS sources now estimate at least 12,000 and possibly up to 20,000 people feared dead in the crackdown, far above the earlier public ranges of 'hundreds' to 'more than 600.'
- Trump reiterates that 'there's a lot of help on the way' for Iranians, mentioning economic assistance and referencing last year’s U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, but offers no concrete details on new measures.
- He frames his 'end game' in Iran simply as 'to win,' and points to the Maduro capture, Baghdadi raid and Soleimani killing as examples of how he defines 'winning.'
9:08 PM
Trump says U.S. "will take very strong action" if Iran hangs protesters
New information:
- Confirms the precise, on‑camera quote used for that broader story’s framing: Trump saying the U.S. 'will take very strong action' if Iran hangs protesters and warning 'it's not gonna work out good.'
- Identifies CBS Evening News and anchor Tony Dokoupil as the venue for the remarks, pinning the threat to a specific interview clip rather than second‑hand descriptions.
3:23 PM
Trump urges Iran protesters to "take over" government institutions
New information:
- Axios provides verbatim Truth Social wording, including the line 'Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!' and 'HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!,' confirming the precise language of Trump's call.
- Article notes Trump wrote that he has 'cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS,' while also acknowledging it is unclear if any such meetings had actually been scheduled.
- Reports that HRANA, a U.S.-based human-rights group, estimates around 2,000 people have been killed so far, 'mostly protesters but also some members of the regime security forces,' adding a higher, specific death toll estimate.
- Confirms that Trump’s senior national security team is meeting at the White House on Iran Tuesday afternoon to weigh options, with uncertainty over whether Trump himself will attend.
- Reiterates that Iran remains under an internet blackout, complicating efforts to independently verify the scope of protests and killings.
3:20 PM
Trump cancels all meetings with Iran, calls on protesters to 'take over' the country
New information:
- Trump posted on Truth Social that he has 'canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS.'
- In the same posts, he urged 'Iranian Patriots' to 'KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!' and told them to 'save the names' of killers and abusers who 'will pay a big price.'
- The White House, via press secretary Karoline Leavitt, confirmed Monday that Trump is weighing whether to bomb Iran in response to the crackdown while insisting diplomacy remains the first option.
- The article cites rights‑group and Reuters estimates that Iranian security forces have killed at least 646 protesters, with an anonymous Iranian official telling Reuters the death toll is closer to 2,000.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is quoted predicting 'the final days and weeks' of the Khamenei regime, saying a government that relies only on violence 'is effectively at its end.'
3:12 PM
Trump cancel meetings with Iranian officials and tells protesters 'help is on its way'
New information:
- Confirms that Trump publicly framed his shift away from talks in a single Truth Social post that combined three elements: cancellation of all meetings with Iranian officials, an explicit call for protesters to 'TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS,' and the promise that 'HELP IS ON ITS WAY.'
- Provides the fuller wording of the social‑media post, including his instruction to protesters to 'save the names of the killers and abusers' and his warning that 'they will pay a big price.'
- Clarifies that, despite canceling meetings and promising help, Trump still has not specified what form U.S. assistance or retaliation would take, beyond earlier generic threats of military strikes if Iran continues using deadly force.
1:47 PM
'Leave Iran now': US Embassy posts warning to Americans still in the country
New information:
- U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran posted an explicit advisory telling U.S. citizens to 'Leave Iran now' and to plan departures that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.
- The advisory gives practical exit guidance, recommending land crossings into Armenia or Turkey 'if it is safe to do so,' and warns that many airlines have limited or suspended flights to and from Iran until at least Jan. 16.
- The embassy reiterates that Iran does not recognize dual nationality and that displaying a U.S. passport or ties to the U.S. can be enough to trigger detention, emphasizing that the Swiss Embassy in Tehran is the protecting power for U.S. interests.
- The alert details severe disruptions inside Iran: escalating protests, possible violent clashes, road closures, public‑transport disruptions and broad internet and telecom restrictions.
- Updated protest death toll from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency: over 600 killed, including 512 protesters and 134 security‑force members.
1:33 PM
Iranian regime targeting Starlink users in bid to squash leaking protest footage
New information:
- Human-rights groups say Iranian authorities are specifically targeting Starlink users to choke off leaks of protest footage during an ongoing internet blackout.
- Rights groups claim thousands of illicit Starlink terminals have been smuggled into Iran and are being used to route protest footage to trusted third parties who post it on social media.
- Iranian government countermeasures have slowed Starlink service but have not fully cut off its use inside the country.
- President Trump told reporters he plans to speak directly with Elon Musk about boosting Starlink connectivity in Iran.
- The White House confirmed Trump is weighing whether to bomb Iran in response to the regime’s deadly crackdown on protesters.
- Updated casualty estimates: rights groups say at least 646 protesters killed, while Reuters cites an unnamed Iranian official putting deaths around 2,000.
January 11, 2026
9:31 PM
Exiled Iranian crown prince appeals to Trump as Iran protests mark ‘defining' moment
New information:
- The Fox News hit provides extended, on‑camera quotes from Reza Pahlavi framing the protests as a 'defining moment' and asking Trump to 'liberate Iran' and 'make Iran great again' in explicit partnership with him.
- Pahlavi claims that 'people in Iran are renaming streets' after Donald Trump and contrasts Trump with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, arguing Iranians believe Trump will not 'throw them under the bus.'
- The piece reiterates and amplifies Trump’s Truth Social line that 'Iran is looking at FREEDOM... The USA stands ready to help!!!' and his Friday pledge that the U.S. will hit the regime 'very, very hard where it hurts,' emphasizing that he rules out 'boots on the ground.'
- Pahlavi states he has a 'transition team,' says he is 'prepared to return to Iran at the first possible opportunity,' and asserts that Iranians are 'prepared to die for this cause, and so am I,' underscoring his personal positioning in any potential post‑regime scenario.
January 09, 2026
6:54 PM
Exiled Iranian crown prince urges Trump to help as protests against Islamic regime intensify: 'Man of peace'
New information:
- Reza Pahlavi published an open appeal on X directly urging President Trump to intervene, describing it as an 'urgent and immediate call for your attention, support, and action.'
- Pahlavi says Iran has imposed a 'total communications blackout'—no internet and no landlines—as protests intensify and alleges Khamenei wants to use the blackout to 'murder these young heroes.'
- Pahlavi claims Trump’s earlier threat to intervene if protesters are killed 'kept the regime's thugs at bay' during Thursday night’s protests.
- HRANA’s updated toll cited in the piece reports at least 36 people killed so far, including 34 protesters and two security/law enforcement personnel.
- Trump reiterated in a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt that Iran has been told it would 'have to pay hell' if it violently kills peaceful protesters, while also expressing reluctance to meet Pahlavi now, saying he wants to see who emerges from the opposition.
- Pahlavi characterizes the current protest wave as 'unprecedented,' highlighting participation from Iran’s merchant class and claiming the regime is 'very close to collapsing.'
6:16 PM
Iran's supreme leader signals upcoming crackdown on protesters
New information:
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a televised speech from his Tehran compound on Jan. 9, 2026, dismissing President Trump and accusing protesters of 'ruining their own streets' to please the U.S. president while crowds chanted 'Death to America.'
- Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni‑Ejei vowed that punishment for protesters 'will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency,' signaling a severe judicial crackdown.
- State media repeatedly labeled demonstrators 'terrorists,' further setting the stage for a violent suppression.
- The article cites the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency as reporting that at least 62 people have been killed and more than 2,300 detained since protests began on Dec. 28, updating previous casualty counts.
- Iran has cut off the country from the internet and most international phone calls, with only short activist videos still emerging despite the blackout.
- The piece highlights Reza Pahlavi’s call for 8 p.m. protests as a key factor that 'turned the tide' of demonstrations and notes pro‑shah chants that were once punishable by death.
2:39 PM
What to know as Iran faces its biggest anti-government protests in years
New information:
- Frames the current unrest as Iran’s largest anti-government challenge in years, driven initially by economic collapse, severe inflation and a roughly 40% currency devaluation in the past year.
- Specifies that protests have occurred in at least 46 cities across 21 of Iran’s 31 provinces, with shop closures and strikes in markets in over a dozen cities and demonstrations on dozens of university campuses.
- Provides updated HRANA figures of more than 2,200 people detained, including at least 166 under age 18, and at least 42 people killed (29 protesters, at least five minors, and eight members of security services).
- Reports Iranian semiofficial Fars agency claims that about 250 police officers and 45 Basij members have been injured in the unrest.
- Details that Iran imposed a nationwide cutoff of phone and web access and that activists report even Starlink connectivity has been jammed, with IranWire’s editor telling CBS that Starlink has been a key channel for activists.
- Adds direct quotes and timing for Trump’s threats, including a Jan. 2 Truth Social post saying the U.S. is 'locked and loaded and ready to go' to 'come to their rescue' if protesters are killed, and a Jan. 8 Fox News interview where he says the U.S. is 'ready' to hit Iran hard while asserting that 'for the most part, they haven't' killed protesters.
12:37 PM
Iranian supreme leader says protesters 'ruining their own streets' to please Trump
New information:
- Khamenei said protesters are 'ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy,' explicitly tying demonstrations to Trump.
- NetBlocks data show internet traffic in Iran collapsing Thursday evening after calls for 8 p.m. protests, confirming a nationwide blackout during the second week of unrest.
- Reports now put the protest death toll at 44 as demonstrations continue across Iran.
- Trump reiterated in a Hugh Hewitt interview that if regime forces kill protesters 'they will be hit very hard,' and the remark was amplified on the State Department’s Farsi feed.
- Iranian state media claimed 'terrorist agents' from the U.S. and Israel set fires and sparked violence during the protests.
- Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi publicly urged Iranians to continue and expand protests on Thursday and Friday nights, praising 'massive crowds' that he said forced security forces to retreat.
January 07, 2026
5:50 PM
Graham warns Iranian ayatollah: 'Trump is gonna kill you' if internal crackdown continues
New information:
- Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News host Sean Hannity that if Iran’s supreme leader continues killing protesters, 'Donald J. Trump is gonna kill you,' directly personalizing Trump’s earlier threat toward Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
- Graham described Khamenei as 'a religious Nazi who kills you and terrorizes the world' and told Iranian protesters that 'help is on the way,' signaling political support for regime change rhetoric.
- The article reiterates updated casualty figures from the unrest—at least 36 killed and more than 2,000 detained—while tying them explicitly to Graham’s remarks.
- Fox frames Graham’s warning in light of the recent U.S. operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro, suggesting that Trump’s Venezuela raid has altered perceptions of the credibility of U.S. threats.
1:09 PM
Iranian military leader threatens preemptive attack after Trump comments
New information:
- Identifies Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, head of Iran’s military, warning that Tehran views intensified anti‑Iran rhetoric as a threat and 'will not leave its continuation without a response,' explicitly threatening a decisive response that would 'cut off the hand of any aggressor.'
- Pins Hatami’s remarks as a likely direct response to President Trump’s Truth Social post stating the U.S. is 'locked and loaded and ready to go' and would 'come to [protesters’] rescue' if Iran 'shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters.'
- Clarifies that Trump’s threat is being interpreted in Tehran in light of the recent U.S. mission in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, heightening Iranian concern about possible similar U.S. action.
- Details Iran’s new economic subsidy: about 1 million tomans (~$7) per month to more than 71 million people to offset soaring food prices, more than doubling a prior 4.5‑million‑rial benefit, as part of the regime’s response to protests.
- Quotes Iran’s vice president for executive affairs, Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, describing the situation as a 'full‑fledged economic war' and calling for 'economic surgery' to root out rentier policies and corruption.
- Reiterates NCRI’s claim that protesters have effectively taken over the cities of Abdanan and Malekshahi, tying those assertions to the current moment and Trump’s messaging.
1:17 AM
Iran on the brink as protesters move to take two cities, appeal to Trump
New information:
- Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports at least 29 deaths and more than 1,200 arrests during 10 days of nationwide unrest, along with escalated use of pellet guns, tear gas, and direct assaults by security forces.
- The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claims protesters have effectively 'taken over' the cities of Abdanan and Malekshahi in Ilam province, with regime forces retreating and demonstrators chanting 'Death to Khamenei.'
- Reports and witness accounts say Iranian security forces entered Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam and Sina Hospital in Tehran to target wounded protesters, prompting Amnesty International to condemn the Ilam hospital attack as a violation of international law.
- Iranian protesters issued a direct public appeal to President Donald Trump via a protest sign on X reading, 'Trump, a symbol of peace. Don't let them kill us.'
- Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has called for coordinated nationwide protest chants on upcoming evenings, and Sen. Lindsey Graham warned Iranian leaders on X that further violence against protesters would be undertaken 'at their own peril,' following Trump’s Truth Social warning that the U.S. is 'locked and loaded and ready to go.'
January 06, 2026
7:19 PM
Iran Security forces clash with protesters at Grand Bazaar, at least 36 killed in demonstrations
New information:
- Reports of a sit-in protest at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, with security forces firing tear gas and dispersing demonstrators as shops closed.
- Activists now say at least 36 people have been killed and more than 1,200 detained since protests began on Dec. 28.
- The Iranian rial hit a new record low of about 1.46 million to $1 on Tuesday, worsening from 1.4 million in December.
- Iran’s Central Bank has ended a preferential subsidized dollar-rial exchange rate for all products except medicine and wheat, a shift expected to raise consumer prices further.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly acknowledged the government’s limited capacity to manage the crisis and ordered a probe into at least one protest incident.
5:19 PM
Dozens said to have been killed in Iran protests despite Trump's warning
New information:
- U.S.-based rights group HRANA reports at least 29 protesters killed and more than 1,200 detained across Iran during 10 days of demonstrations.
- HRANA and Reuters‑verified video show clashes between protesters and security forces at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, traditionally a regime‑aligned commercial center.
- HRANA says protests spread to more than 250 locations in at least 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces, indicating nationwide reach.
- Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency claims about 250 police officers and 45 Basij members have been injured in the unrest.
- The article notes Iranian authorities’ efforts to placate protesters appear to have reduced crowd sizes in Tehran in recent days, according to people inside Iran who spoke with CBS News.
January 02, 2026
9:55 PM
Iranian official says U.S. bases, forces could be targets if U.S. takes military action
New information:
- CBS reports an unnamed Iranian official stating explicitly that U.S. bases and forces could be targets if the United States takes military action against Iran.
- The segment ties President Trump’s public threat of possible military action directly to this Iranian warning about U.S. forces and bases.
- The report reiterates that several people have already been killed in the Iranian protests over worsening economic conditions, in the context of this new explicit threat.
9:39 PM
Protests spread across Iran as regime threatens US forces as 'legitimate targets' after Trump warning
New information:
- Identifies Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf as publicly warning on X that 'all American centers and forces across the entire region will be legitimate targets' if the U.S. intervenes in Iran’s unrest.
- Specifies that protests have entered a sixth day and, according to the opposition group NCRI, have spread to at least 44 cities across 19 provinces, with at least eight people reported killed, including a 15‑year‑old.
- Details protest activity in specific cities (Marvdasht, Semirom, Darreh‑Shahr, Ramhormoz, Azna, Lali, and Zahedan) including burning a Qassem Soleimani statue and Friday‑prayer‑linked demonstrations with slogans like 'Death to the dictator' and 'Death to Khamenei.'
- Notes that funerals for people killed in the unrest have themselves turned into anti‑regime demonstrations, according to NCRI.
- Reiterates the approximate scale of U.S. regional deployments (about 40,000 troops and War Department civilians) and where they are based (Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria), placing Qalibaf’s threat in a concrete operational context.
7:25 PM
Iran crackdown rattles Middle East as analysts weigh US options short of military intervention
New information:
- Article quotes Trump’s full conditional threat that if Iran 'shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters … the United States of America will come to their rescue' and that the U.S. is 'locked and loaded,' adding color on how forceful his wording was.
- Human‑rights groups are cited as reporting between five and eight people killed, more than 30 injured and over 100 arrested so far in the current wave of protests as they spread to 'dozens of cities.'
- Provides specific non‑kinetic options U.S. analysts are urging, including Daniel Shapiro’s call to 'support protesters with internet access and prepare now to advise and assist in a transition' and Richard Goldberg’s argument that Washington should 'facilitate secure information flow to the protesters and blind the security forces.'
- Notes that Iran’s hard‑liners have intensified claims that the unrest is foreign‑instigated following Trump’s warning.
- Reiterates recent examples of Trump’s willingness to use force — strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, operations against ISIS in Nigeria, and actions against alleged narco‑traffickers near Venezuela — explicitly tying those to how analysts gauge the credibility of his threat.
1:43 PM
Trump and Iran start 2026 exchanging new threats on social media
New information:
- Details that Trump’s Truth Social post said the U.S. is 'locked and loaded and ready to go' and that America 'will come to their rescue' if Iran 'violently kills peaceful protesters.'
- Names and quotes top Iranian officials responding online: Ali Larijani (secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council) and Ali Shamkhani (adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former council secretary).
- Larijani alleges—without evidence—that the U.S. and Israel are 'stoking' the protests and warns that U.S. intervention would mean 'chaos in the entire region and the destruction of the U.S. interests,' telling Americans to 'take care of their own soldiers.'
- Shamkhani warns that 'any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut' and cites Iraq, Afghanistan and Gaza as examples of what he calls U.S. “rescue” efforts.
- The protests are now in their sixth day, are described as the biggest since the 2022 Mahsa Amini demonstrations but not yet nationwide or as intense, and at least seven people have been killed so far.
- The piece notes that Iran attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in June in response to U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites during Israel’s 12‑day war with Iran.
- It adds that President Masoud Pezeshkian’s civilian government has limited power to address the economic crisis, with the rial having collapsed to about 1.4 million rials per U.S. dollar and protests starting over economic grievances before broadening to anti‑theocracy chants.
- Iran has said since the war that it is no longer enriching uranium at any site, framing this as a signal it is open to talks on its nuclear program, though negotiations with the U.S. have not materialized.
1:35 PM
Trump threatens military force if Iran kills protesters
New information:
- Axios provides the exact wording of Trump’s latest Truth Social post stating the U.S. is "locked and loaded" and will "come to their rescue" if Iran "shots and violently kills peaceful protesters."
- The article notes this is the first official U.S. statement on the current protest wave, distinguishing it from prior, less specific comments.
- It reports that protests have spread to more than 30 cities in Iran over several days, described as the most wide‑ranging since 2022 though smaller in size so far.
- It states that Iranian security forces have in several cases already used live fire against protesters.
- It adds that President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued conciliatory public messages and met with major trader associations in response to the unrest.
- It records reactions from senior Iranian officials: adviser Ali Larijani warning that U.S. interference would destabilize the region and threatening U.S. soldiers’ safety, and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stating U.S. bases in the region would be legitimate targets if the U.S. attacks Iran.
- The piece recalls Trump’s earlier floated idea of regime change during the prior year’s 12‑day war and his past social‑media comments on Iranian protests, situating the new threat in that context.
10:30 AM
Trump Warns Iran Against Shooting Protesters
New information:
- Wall Street Journal framing that Trump is 'putting more pressure on Tehran as it tries to contain discontent with its spiraling economy,' tying his threat explicitly to Iran's economic crisis.
- WSJ emphasizes that the demonstrations have 'run for nearly a week' and have 'turned deadly, with clashes between protesters and police leaving several dead,' reinforcing the protest duration and casualty characterization.
- Article notes the protests include incidents such as demonstrators attacking a government building in southern Iran, as shown in social-media video stills referenced in the piece.
9:24 AM
Trump says if Iran kills protesters, U.S. will "come to their rescue"
New information:
- CBS specifies Trump’s Truth Social warning was posted just before 3 a.m. Eastern and directly quotes: if Iran "violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue" and "We are locked and loaded and ready to go."
- Article details that the current protest wave has lasted nearly a week, began with business owners angry over dire economic conditions and hyperinflation, and that at least six people have been reported killed so far.
- It notes protesters in Tehran and other cities have used anti-government, pro‑monarchy chants and sometimes clashed violently with security forces, based on social‑media videos.
- CBS adds that both the U.S. and Israeli governments had issued statements supporting the protests prior to Trump’s intervention threat, including a quote from U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz saying, "We stand with Iranians in the streets of Tehran and across the country."
- The article situates Trump’s warning in the context of his recent Mar‑a‑Lago meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where Trump said he had heard Iran might be attempting to rebuild its nuclear program and warned, "we'll knock them down" if it does.
- It records Iranian President Mahsoud Pezeshkian’s response on Tuesday that Iran would answer "any cruel aggression" with "harsh and discouraging" measures.
- CBS provides comparative context to earlier major protest waves in Iran, including the 2022 Mahsa Amini demonstrations and the 2019 petrol‑price protests, to underscore that current unrest is significant but not yet at those levels.