Trump says US mulling ‘some very robust choices’ on Iran as protest loss of life toll rises – ICYMI
Alex Croft12 January 2026 12:54
How may Iran retaliate in opposition to Trump? Fears assault on US army bases may spark conflict in Middle East
Iran has threatened retaliatory assaults in opposition to Israel and US army centres within the area after tensions escalated amid widespread demonstrations in opposition to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Donald Trump has been unequivocal about his intention to make use of army motion to intervene in Iran if protesters are killed. But regardless of his threats, monitoring teams say that tons of have died since Thursday, with over 10,000 individuals arrested.
The American chief is to debate the choices for US intervention on Tuesday, based on the Wall Street Journal . He is alleged to be contemplating “very strong options”, which can embrace cyber-attacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel or tightening sanctions, sources stated.
“We are ready for war but also for dialogue,” Iranian overseas minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Monday.
Alex Croft12 January 2026 12:33
A timeline of Iran’s rising protest motion
28 December: Protests get away in two main markets in downtown Tehran, after the Iranian rial plunged to a brand new report low.
29 December: The central financial institution head resigns because the protests unfold and police hearth tear gasoline at protesters.
30 December: President Masoud Pezeshkian vows to work with enterprise leaders to listen to their calls for as college campuses be part of protests.
31 December: Protests in Fasa allegedly flip violent after crowds break into the governor’s workplace.
1 January: The protests’ first fatalities are formally reported, with authorities saying not less than seven individuals have been killed.
2 January: Trump threatens Iran if it kills peaceable protesters.
3 January: Khamenei greenlights safety forces in crackdown. Protests attain 170 places with 15 lifeless.
8 January: The authorities blocks the web after Reza Pahlavi calls on residents to behave.
9 January: Iran ramps up threats of punishment with 65 reported killed and a pair of,300 detained.
11 January: Iran’s parliament speaker threatens to strike US army bases within the area if Trump assaults, as rights teams say 538 individuals have now been killed. HRANA reviews arrests have surpassed 10,000.
Alex Croft12 January 2026 12:12
Recap: Trump says Iran needs to barter
US president Donald Trump stated Iran reached out to the US and proposed negotiations after he threatened motion over a crackdown on protesters.
Trump informed reporters on Air Force One that his administration was in talks to arrange a gathering with Tehran, however cautioned that he might should act first because the loss of life toll in Iran mounts and the federal government continues to arrest protesters.
“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump stated. He added: “Iran wants to negotiate.”
Alex Croft12 January 2026 11:47
US exhibiting lack of seriousness in conversations, says Tehran
Earlier, we reported that Iranian overseas minister Abbas Araghchi stated the US and Iran have been prepared to carry talks after Donald Trump threatened army motion in opposition to Tehran.
We can now deliver you extra from the Iranian overseas ministry, which says Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has an open channel of communication with Tehran – however that Washington has demonstrated a scarcity of seriousness.
“The communication channel between our foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and the US special envoy [Steve Witkoff] is open and messages are exchanged whenever necessary,” overseas ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Monday.
Contacts additionally stay open by conventional middleman Switzerland, he stated.
“They [the US] touched upon some cases, ideas were brought up and in general… the Islamic Republic is a country that never left the negotiating table”.
But he added that “contradictory messages” from the US confirmed a scarcity of seriousness and weren’t convincing.
Araqchi reiterated in a briefing to overseas ambassadors in Tehran that the Islamic Republic was prepared for conflict but additionally open to dialogue.
Alex Croft12 January 2026 11:22
Labour minister refuses to touch upon Trump’s risk to strike Iran: ‘We don’t touch upon hypotheticals’
Alex Croft12 January 2026 11:03
Fashion pupil, 23, shot lifeless in again of the top in Iran protests
A 23-year-old pupil was shot lifeless at shut vary after becoming a member of mass anti-government protests in Iran, based on a human rights group, because the regime continues its crackdown on demonstrations.
According to the Iran Human Rights group, Rubina Aminian, 23, was killed on 8 January after leaving Shariati College in Tehran, the nation’s capital, and becoming a member of protest gatherings.
Sources near her household informed Norway-based Iran Human Rights that Ms Aminian, who was a pupil of textile and vogue design, was shot from behind at shut vary, with the bullet putting her head.
Alex Croft12 January 2026 10:44
Shocking Iranian video footage reveals our bodies strewn outdoors morgue after vicious crackdown
Shocking footage shared from Iran seems to point out scores of our bodies in black luggage strewn throughout a forensic facility within the capital, Tehran.
It comes as rights teams warn that nicely over 500 individuals have been killed in a bloody authorities crackdown after two weeks of nationwide protests calling for regime change.
Five separate clips shared by activists on-line present our bodies, some bloodied and simply of their underwear, littering the compound of the ability, the place identification and loss of life certificates are reportedly being issued.
Mourners are seen sobbing uncontrollably, some collapsing on the bottom, as they transfer between the lifeless who’re laid out inside a number of warehouses and even alongside an inside street in Tehran.
Two Iranian activist accounts, which have develop into credible sources of photographs smuggled in a foreign country, named the situation because the Kahrizak forensic laboratory. They individually wrote that the regime had summoned civilians there to establish their lifeless.
With a nationwide worldwide blackout in place, The Independent was unable to confirm the footage, however matched elements of the buildings within the movies to satellite tv for pc imagery of the sprawling facility, which is positioned simply 20 km south of town centre.
Alex Croft12 January 2026 10:25
In photos: ‘Free Iran’ rallies happen all over the world
Alex Croft12 January 2026 10:05
Merz: Iran crackdown is signal of weak spot for regime
German chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated the violence should finish in Iran.
He described the Iranian crack down on protesters as an indication of weak spot within the regime, now power.
Alex Croft12 January 2026 09:43
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-protests-trump-israel-latest-news-b2898623.html