The White House said the United States is keeping the option of airstrikes against Iran if the country's violent suppression of anti-government protests continues. Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt told reporters on Monday that Washington is deeply concerned about the rising casualties on Iranian streets. She emphasized that while military options remain on the table, diplomatic channels are still open, reflecting President Donald Trump’s stated preference for diplomatic solutions first.

Leavitt noted that President Trump’s leadership style involves keeping all options open, including airstrikes. She also revealed that Iran’s leadership is sending mixed messages, speaking differently in private communications than in public statements. The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed that, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, a secret communication channel exists between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Human rights organizations reported that the death toll in Iran continues to rise, while internet shutdowns have limited information flow from inside the country. Leavitt acknowledged that Trump does not want to see people killed in Tehran’s streets but said that, unfortunately, such violence is ongoing.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran is fully prepared if the United States chooses a path toward war or attempts to test Iran’s military capabilities. In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on January 12, he stated that while the door to dialogue with Washington remains open, Iran is ready for any scenario. Araghchi emphasized that Iran’s current military preparedness is broader and stronger than during the tensions of June last year involving Israel and the United States.

He cautioned that those trying to draw Washington into conflict to protect Israel’s interests should reconsider. Addressing the ongoing anti-government protests, Araghchi claimed that armed groups and terrorists have infiltrated the demonstrations and attacked both protesters and security forces. The protests began on December 28 when Tehran’s traders called a strike over inflation and rising living costs, later spreading across all 31 provinces.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for Iranian protesters and warned of possible U.S. military action if Tehran suppresses the movement. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged economic reforms and promised to listen to public concerns.

The United States has urged all its citizens currently in Iran to leave the country immediately due to escalating anti-government protests and a worsening security situation. The advisory was issued on Monday, January 12, 2026, by the US Virtual Embassy in an emergency directive. It warned that demonstrations across Iran are spreading rapidly and could turn violent at any time, with reports of arrests and injuries. The notice also cited increased security measures, roadblocks, disrupted public transport, and internet shutdowns as factors severely affecting daily life.

According to the directive, the Iranian government has imposed restrictions on mobile, landline, and national internet networks, hampering communications and information flow. Many international airlines have suspended or canceled flights to Iran, with some halting operations until at least January 16. US citizens were advised to leave via land routes to Armenia or Turkey if safe, avoid borders with Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, and prepare for prolonged internet outages. Dual US-Iranian nationals were instructed to use Iranian passports when departing, as Iran does not recognize dual citizenship.

The advisory also reminded that the US has no diplomatic or consular presence in Iran, and the Swiss Embassy in Tehran represents US interests there.

Mass protests in Iran, initially sparked by economic hardship and rising prices, have turned violent across the country. According to Iran Human Rights, at least 650 people, including nine minors, have been killed as security forces used force to suppress demonstrations. The unrest, which began in late December in Tehran, has spread to 186 cities and 31 provinces, with over 10,000 arrests reported. In response, millions joined pro-government rallies across Iran, which officials described as proof of national unity.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated as the United States expressed support for protesters and threatened possible military action. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country is fully prepared for both war and dialogue, accusing US President Donald Trump of seeking a pretext for intervention. Several Western nations, including Germany, Finland, and Canada, urged Iran to avoid violence, while the European Union warned of new sanctions. China voiced opposition to foreign interference, calling for peace and stability in the Middle East.

Internet services, previously cut nationwide, are being gradually restored, according to Iranian officials, as the government claims the situation is now under control.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has begun hearings in a genocide case against Myanmar over its treatment of the Rohingya Muslim minority. The proceedings opened on Monday in The Hague, with Gambian Foreign Minister Dawda Jallow stating that Myanmar sought to erase the Rohingya population through acts of genocide. The case was originally filed in 2019 by Gambia, a Muslim-majority nation in West Africa, accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against the minority group.

During the opening session, Jallow said Gambia had reviewed reports of severe human rights violations against a vulnerable community, describing decades of persecution and dehumanizing propaganda that led to military operations aimed at the Rohingya’s destruction. He added that Gambia brought the case out of a sense of responsibility informed by its own experience with military rule.

According to Al Jazeera, the hearings will continue for three weeks, with Myanmar given time to respond to Gambia’s allegations by the end of the month. The court has scheduled three closed sessions to hear witnesses, including Rohingya survivors. Although the ICJ cannot prosecute individuals, its rulings carry significant weight for the United Nations and other international bodies.

A Russian commander has claimed that his unit shot down a US-made F-16 fighter jet operated by Ukraine. In an interview broadcast on Russia-1 TV, the commander, identified as Sevar, said the aircraft was the most attractive target for his unit. According to him, two missiles were fired at the jet, with the first damaging it and the second delivering the final strike. Sevar stated that the operation took considerable preparation time and that his team had been tracking the aircraft before it entered their target zone. He did not specify when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, Ukraine reportedly carried out separate attacks on three Russian oil extraction facilities in the Caspian Sea and launched drone strikes on the city of Voronezh. The governor of the Voronezh region, Alexander Gusev, confirmed that one woman was killed and three others were injured in the drone attack. Several drones were shot down over the city, but casualties could not be avoided. The extent of damage to the Caspian oil facilities remains unclear.

The developments highlight continuing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides reporting strikes across multiple fronts.

Israel and Germany have signed a new security cooperation agreement, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released on Sunday. The deal was signed in Jerusalem by Netanyahu and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The statement described Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, as threats to both regional stability and international security.

The agreement reflects Germany’s deep commitment to Israel’s security, the statement said. It establishes a broad security partnership between the two countries’ agencies in areas such as cyber defense, advanced technology, law enforcement, counterterrorism, and civil protection.

The development follows Germany’s suspension of military equipment exports to Israel in August of the previous year due to concerns that its weapons could be used in the Gaza war. Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier after the United States.

China has declared its firm support for Cuba following recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump. On Monday in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China stands strongly for Cuba’s national sovereignty and security and opposes any external interference. She urged the United States to end its long-standing blockade, sanctions, and pressure on Cuba, calling for actions that promote regional peace and stability.

Trump had earlier announced on his social media platform that Cuba would no longer receive oil or financial assistance from Venezuela. He claimed that Cuba had been receiving substantial oil and funds in exchange for providing security services to Venezuelan leaders, but that arrangement had now ended. Trump also alleged that many Cubans were killed during recent U.S. military operations in Venezuela.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel blamed the United States’ decades-long blockade for his country’s deep economic crisis, asserting that Cuba remains an independent and sovereign nation despite persistent external pressure.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over reports of violence and excessive force used against civilians during ongoing anti-government protests in Iran. In a statement on Sunday, January 11, he called on Iranian authorities to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from unnecessary or disproportionate use of force against demonstrators. His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said the Secretary-General was deeply saddened by reports of numerous deaths resulting from the crackdown.

Guterres emphasized the importance of fully protecting freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association as recognized under international law. He urged that Iranian citizens be allowed to voice their demands and grievances peacefully and without fear. The UN chief also called for the restoration of internet and communication services to ensure the free flow of information across the country.

According to the UK-based monitoring group NetBlocks, Iran’s internet has been cut off for more than 72 hours. The protests began on December 28 in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over the sharp fall of the Iranian rial and worsening economic crisis, later spreading nationwide. The US-based group HRANA reported at least 490 protesters and 48 security personnel killed, with over 10,600 arrests, though the Iranian government has not released official figures.

North Korea has issued a strong condemnation of the United States, calling it 'shameless' and accusing Washington of actions that undermine the dignity of the United Nations. The statement, released Monday by Pyongyang’s mission to the UN, described U.S. behavior as a 'heinous crime' and urged that discussions at the UN should focus on such conduct rather than imposing sanctions on other countries.

According to the statement, North Korea views the United States’ actions as showing contempt for the UN. Although no specific incident was mentioned, analysts cited in the report suggested the reaction may have followed international criticism of the U.S. after the detention of Venezuela’s president. The report noted that North Korea remains under long-standing UN Security Council sanctions due to its nuclear and missile programs.

The statement reflects Pyongyang’s continued opposition to U.S. influence in international institutions and its ongoing frustration with global pressure over its weapons development.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced plans to make Mumbai free of alleged illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants. The declaration came as the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance released its manifesto for the upcoming Mumbai municipal elections. Fadnavis stated that with assistance from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), an artificial intelligence tool will be developed to identify Bangladeshi migrants.

The source notes that there is no concrete data showing any negative economic or social impact from such alleged infiltration. In recent years, the issue of so-called illegal Bangladeshis has become a recurring political theme in India, raised by the ruling BJP and its allies during various state and local elections, including in Bihar and West Bengal.

According to the report, several Indian migrant workers have been beaten to death on suspicion of being Bangladeshis in states such as Kerala, Odisha, and Bihar. Analysts believe that reckless political rhetoric has endangered the lives of poor and migrant communities, particularly Muslims and Bengali-speaking citizens.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said her country is facing a 'critical crossroads' following U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to take control of Greenland. Speaking in Washington, D.C., ahead of a meeting on global mineral supply, she stated that the crisis involves not only Greenland’s future but also broader strategic and policy interests. Frederiksen emphasized Denmark’s readiness to defend its values, particularly in the Arctic, and reaffirmed her belief in international law and the right to self-determination.

Germany and Sweden have expressed support for Denmark in opposing Trump’s claim over the autonomous Danish territory. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson warned that any U.S. attempt to seize Greenland would constitute a serious violation of international law. Several Nordic, Baltic, and European nations have also voiced solidarity with Denmark.

According to The Telegraph, military leaders from the United Kingdom and other European countries are discussing a potential NATO mission in Greenland to counter Russian and Chinese influence. Public opinion polls indicate that most Greenlanders oppose any U.S. takeover, while regional governments are reinforcing cooperation under international legal frameworks.

A Palestinian detainee from Gaza, identified as Hamza Abdullah Abdulhadi Adwan, has died in an Israeli prison, according to a joint statement by the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Society. The statement said Adwan had long suffered from heart disease and required medical treatment. He was arrested on November 12, 2024, at a military checkpoint in northern Gaza. Adwan was married and the father of nine children, two of whom were killed in Israeli attacks in October 2023.

Rights groups have accused Israel of systematic abuse of Palestinian prisoners, including starvation, medical neglect, sexual assault, humiliation, and detention under degrading conditions. The statement noted that since the start of the Gaza war, more than 100 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli custody, though Israeli authorities have officially confirmed the identities of only 87.

The continuing deaths in custody have drawn attention to the conditions of Palestinian detainees and the lack of transparency surrounding their treatment and deaths.

Iran has summoned the British ambassador in Tehran following an incident in London where protesters removed the Iranian national flag from the country’s embassy. The protest took place on Saturday outside the Iranian embassy, drawing hundreds of participants. At one point, a demonstrator climbed onto the embassy balcony and took down the flag, prompting Tehran’s formal protest.

Iran’s state television reported that authorities also accused a specific terrorist organization of spreading false information through media and encouraging violence and terrorism. The report noted that the BBC Persian Service and Iran International, both based in the United Kingdom, have long faced accusations from Iranian officials. Meanwhile, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that two protesters were arrested and that officers were searching for another individual involved in the intrusion.

Many demonstrators reportedly carried images of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s deposed monarch Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, whose regime was overthrown in the 1979 revolution. Some protesters called for his return to Iran.

The Norwegian Nobel Institute has reiterated that once the Nobel Peace Prize is announced, it cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked under any circumstances. The clarification came following recent comments by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who said she wished to give her Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump as a gesture of gratitude for a recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

According to the Institute’s statement, the decision to award a Nobel Prize is final and irreversible, as explicitly stated in the Nobel regulations. Machado received the Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts to defend democratic rights and promote a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela. Her remarks sparked international discussion after the U.S. military detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on January 3.

Responding to Machado’s comments, Trump said he would consider receiving the prize a “great honor.” The Nobel Committee emphasized that the prize cannot be altered or transferred based on political decisions or personal wishes, reaffirming that this principle is central to the award’s credibility and prestige.