Iran protests instigated by Israel to distract from Gaza ‘genocide,’ Columbia professor claims
An Iranian studies professor at an Ivy League university slammed Israel’s alleged participation in protests in Iran, which have turned violent as the country’s dictatorial regime fights back.
“What you are seeing today is Israel instigated revolt, because there are Mossad agents in the streets of Tehran hiding among Iranian demonstrators,” said Columbia University professor Hamid Dabashi in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Dabashi pointed to a recent X post by former CIA director Mike Pompeo, in which Pompeo referenced Mossad agents among the protesters.
“The Iranian regime is in trouble. Bringing in mercenaries is its last best hope,” Pompeo said in a Jan. 2 post. “Riots in dozens of cities and the Basij under siege — Mashed, Tehran, Zahedan. Next stop: Baluchistan. 47 years of this regime; POTUS 47. Coincidence? Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them…”
ISRAELI COLUMBIA PROFESSOR LEAVES SCHOOL OVER FAILURE TO ADDRESS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS
“In addition, over the last few days we have seen Israeli flags in Tehran among the protesters,” said Dabashi. “What is the Israeli flag doing in Iran?”
“So, when we study — when we look at the events unfolding in Iran, we have to be very careful making a distinction between a legitimate protest of Iranians against their government because of the economic crisis, and the imbalance between [the] Rial and dollar, and illegitimate Israel-instigated protests for their own nefarious reasons.”
Dabashi finished by claiming that Israel is influencing the protests to “distract attention from the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, and the continued theft of Palestinian territories in the West Bank.
“Professor Dabashi, like all members of the Columbia community, is entitled to express personal views, including those with which others may strongly disagree,” a university spokesman told Fox News Digital. “The opinions he has expressed are his own and do not represent Columbia.”
Dabashi did not return a request for comment.
MAMDANI PLEDGED TO FIGHT FOR ALL BUT SCRAPPED ORDER JEWISH STUDENTS SAY PROTECTED THEM
Columbia has been dogged by accusations of antisemitism, and was home to some of the most virulent anti-Israel protests and encampments during the two-year war stemming from Hamas’ 2023 terrorist attack on Israeli concertgoers.
In July, President Donald Trump secured a $21 million settlement with the New York school specifically to settle claims of antisemitic employment discrimination against Jewish faculty after the Oct. 7, 2023. Overall, the school forked over a total of $221 million amid a flurry of other federal investigations.
The school established an antisemitism task force to tackle the allegations, culminating in a December report.
“In the course of its work, the Task Force has heard of the isolation and pain many Jewish and Israeli Columbia affiliates have experienced in recent months,” the report said. “While mourning Hamas’s unspeakable atrocities on October 7, some Jewish and Israeli Columbia affiliates have been the object of racist epithets and graffiti, antisemitic tropes, and confrontational and unwelcome questions, while others have found their participation in some student groups that have nothing to do with politics to be increasingly uncomfortable.”
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In a message announcing the release of the report, Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said the school is balancing academic freedom of expression and preventing discrimination.
Freed Iranian prisoner says ‘in Trump, the Islamic Republic has met its match’
Former Washington Post Tehran correspondent Jason Rezaian, who spent 544 days as a political prisoner in Iran, called on President Donald Trump to take the current Iranian regime by surprise and begin planning for a post-Islamic Republic era.
In a Tuesday op-ed, Rezaian recounted his 2014 arrest by the Iranian government, which he said stemmed from his work covering nuclear negotiations with the United States. He wrote that this coverage “ultimately resulted in my being taken hostage and used as leverage” in the very negotiations he was covering.
Rezaian, who now works as the Post’s director of press freedom initiatives, said for the first time since leaving Iran in 2016, he was allowing himself to feel hope that he might one day return as protesters seek to topple Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his regime.
IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’
The journalist argued that it is a fallacy to claim that the U.S. never exerted its power over Iran prior to Trump taking office.
“It’s a fiction that the U.S. never exerted pressure on Iran before Trump. He inherited an architecture that he extended and enforced more strictly. Arguably, though, what has been his most effective tool against Iran is the element of surprise that has left Iran unable to predict what he will do next, from approving the 2020 killing of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, or the bombing campaign Trump ordered on Iranian nuclear sites in June,” he contended.
According to Rezaian, it was “American consistency, not weakness,” that Tehran had long taken advantage of in regard to American leadership.
“In Trump, the Islamic Republic has met its match: a much stronger adversary who, like their leadership, believes that rules don’t apply to him,” he argued.
TRUMP SAYS THE U.S. WILL TAKE ‘VERY STRONG ACTION’ AGAINST IRAN IF THE REGIME STARTS HANGING PROTESTERS
Although Rezaian typically avoids making predictions about Iran, he said “two things seem very clear” about the situation unfolding in the country.
“First, no matter how sophisticated and educated many Iranians are, there is and will be an understandable desire for retribution against the old guard for decades of harsh injustices. A law-based approach to accountability within Iran and at international tribunals would pay many more dividends than wrecking existing institutions that ordinary citizens rely on,” he maintained. “Continuity will be essential for an orderly transition.”
His second prediction was that “when the regime finally falls, whoever will lead Iran next is almost certainly living there now,” adding that it would be “unrealistic and frankly unfair” to expect the long-exiled son of the shah overthrown in 1979 — Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi — to take over as Khamenei’s successor.
“Whether that person, whomever it turns out to be, would be better able to provide for the needs of Iranians and ensure a brighter future than the country’s current authoritarian rulers is still anyone’s guess,” he cautioned.
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With the country’s potential new leadership still up in the air, Rezaian urged the Trump administration to “do what its predecessors failed to do for decades. Stop taking its cues from experts and charlatans in Washington and build bridges to changemakers within Iran.”
On Tuesday, Trump urged Iranians to continue protesting and assured them that help is on the way, possibly hinting at U.S. intervention in the conflict.
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“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Fetterman ‘open’ to more US strikes on Iran as regime ‘slaughtering thousands’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he is open to additional U.S. airstrikes on Iran after reports of mass casualties among civilian protesters, citing last year’s operation that targeted the regime’s nuclear infrastructure during its war with Israel.
“They are quite literally slaughtering thousands and thousands of them and executing their own people in the street. So for me, I think that’s why I’m gonna remain open to this because… [it] absolutely was the right thing that happened when we struck the nuclear facilities,” Fetterman told “Hannity” Tuesday.
Fetterman’s comments follow reports suggesting thousands, possibly even tens of thousands, of Iranians have been killed and even more have been detained.
The Pennsylvania senator claimed that military action, not sanctions, has been the only effective response to Tehran’s behavior.
IRANIAN DISSIDENT UNLOADS ON AMERICAN LEFT’S SILENCE ON DEADLY PROTESTS
“Sanctions and other things really haven’t worked. What actually really worked with Iran was the strike [on the] nuclear facilities,” he said. “That changed the entire dynamic in the Middle East… and now that helped trigger [unrest] in Iran.”
Fetterman was referring to Operation Midnight Hammer, a U.S. military strike in June 2025 that targeted three Iranian nuclear sites and aimed to significantly damage the theocracy’s nuclear program amid rising regional tensions. U.S. leaders called the mission a major success, while Tehran downplayed its impact.
Fetterman argued that American engagement could be the catalyst needed to “put this thing over the top and break this awful regime,” claiming the Ayatollah’s government was “summarily executing” young people.
“The bodies are stacked up in body bags everywhere,” he said.
FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATS TO BACK TRUMP TAKING MILITARY ACTION IN IRAN IF NECESSARY
He stressed that further action would not have to involve troops on the ground and rejected a comparison to America’s involvement in Iraq, saying, “This is not a boots-on-the-ground thing.”
“This is not Iraq… This is us standing with those protesters,” he said.
Fetterman hopes widespread protests against the Iranian government could “create a new nation” and stop the Tehran “death spiral.”
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“Why wouldn’t we want to be ready to provide the kind of bump to… finally break this regime?”
Iran pushes for fast trials and executions of suspects detained in protests despite Trump’s warning: report
Despite President Donald Trump’s warnings, Iran’s chief justice called for fast trials and executions of suspects detained in the ongoing anti-government demonstrations, a report said Wednesday.
The remarks from Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei come as the death toll in the protests has risen to at least 2,571, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said. Other reports say the death toll is more than 3,000, with the real number likely to be even higher.
“If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,” Mohseni-Ejei said in a video shared by Iranian state television, according to The Associated Press. “If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast.”
Trump warned Iran about executions in an interview with CBS News that aired on Tuesday.
SOME US MILITARY PERSONNEL TOLD TO LEAVE MIDDLE EAST BASES, US OFFICIAL CONFIRMS
“We will take very strong action,” Trump said. “If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action.”
“We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen. And you know, if they want to have protests, that’s one thing, when they start killing thousands of people, and now you’re telling me about hanging — we’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not going to work out good,” the president added.
IRANIAN REGIME TARGETING STARLINK USERS IN BID TO SQUASH LEAKING PROTEST FOOTAGE
Trump also vowed on Tuesday that those responsible for killing anti-regime demonstrators will “pay a big price.”
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”
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“I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” he added.
Mamdani finally speaks out about Iranian regime’s deadly crackdown on protesters
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted that he does not support Iran’s deadly crackdown against protesters.
“I absolutely do not support the way the Iranian government has responded to that,” he said during a press conference on Tuesday when asked about Iran.
“I think that the Iranian government and every government should respect the right of people to express their political opinions, and for people to be able to do so safely,” he stated.
HOCHUL, AOC, MAMDANI SLAM ‘WE SUPPORT HAMAS’ CHANTS AT QUEENS PROTEST: ‘DISGUSTING AND ANTISEMITIC’
Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, was sworn in at the start of this year.
Last year he met with President Donald Trump after winning the mayoral contest.
MAMDANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAVE BEEN TEXTING AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK — AS UNLIKELY BROMANCE BLOSSOMS: SOURCES
“I’ve exchanged a handful of texts with the president since we met in the Oval Office,” Mamdani said on Tuesday.
“And those texts, the conversations that we’ve had, they always come back to New York City and the importance of delivering for the people who call this city home,” he noted.
Trump has been signaling that the U.S. will take action to support Iranian dissidents.
IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’
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“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!” he declared in a Tuesday Truth Social post, using the acronym that stands for “Make Iran Great Again.”
Some US military personnel told to leave Middle East bases, US official confirms
Some U.S. military personnel have been told to leave bases in the Middle East, Fox News has learned.
The order comes amid widespread protests in Iran and threats to intervene from President Donald Trump. Qatar’s government confirmed that some U.S. personnel had departed from the Al Udeid Air Base, America’s largest military base in the Middle East.
Qatar’s International Media Office said the steps were part of broader efforts to safeguard the security of citizens and residents and to protect critical infrastructure and military facilities, adding that any further developments would be announced through official channels.
Trump said on Tuesday that he cut off meetings with the Iranian regime, saying there would be no contact until the government stops killing protesters. He also urged the Iranian people to “take over” the country.
LIZ PEEK: TRUMP IS PUTTING AMERICA FIRST BY BACKING IRAN INTO A CORNER
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”
“I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that the U.S. may intervene against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime, but he has not offered details of any plans.
NETANYAHU AND RUBIO DISCUSS US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAN AMID ONGOING NATIONWIDE PROTESTS: REPORT
Reports say Iranian authorities have killed more than 2,500 people, though the actual total could be much higher.
The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran in reaction to the crackdown.
IRAN’S ‘DISTINCTIVE’ DRONE DEPLOYMENT SEES DEATH TOLL SOAR AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president “has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary.”
“He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that’s something we are seeing right now,” she added.
Iranian authorities have used deadly force against anti-regime protesters and have cut off public internet access in an effort to stop images and video from spreading across the globe.
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The protests represent the highest level of unrest Iran has seen since nationwide protests against the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of morality police in 2022.
US freezes all visa processing for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia, Iran
FIRST ON FOX: The State Department is pausing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries in an effort to crack down on applicants deemed likely to become a public charge.
A State Department memo, seen first by Fox News Digital, directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures.
The countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen and more.
The pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of immigrant visa processing.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MINNESOTA’S ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ FRAUD AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S LATEST CRACKDOWN
Somalia has drawn heightened scrutiny from federal officials following a sweeping fraud scandal centered in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered massive abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs. Many of those involved are Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.
In November 2025, a State Department cable sent to posts around the globe instructed consular officers to enforce sweeping new screening rules under the so-called “public charge” provision of immigration law.
The guidance instructs consular officers to deny visas to applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits, weighing a wide range of factors including health, age, English proficiency, finances and even potential need for long-term medical care.
Older or overweight applicants could be denied, along with those who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalization.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement.
“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVOKES MORE THAN 100,000 VISAS IN FIRST YEAR BACK
While the public charge provision has existed for decades, enforcement has varied widely across administrations, with consular officers historically given broad discretion in applying the standard.
Exceptions to the new pause will be “very limited” and only allowed after an applicant has cleared public charge considerations.
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A 2022 version of the public charge rule under the Biden administration had limited the scope of benefits considered — primarily to cash assistance and long-term institutional care — excluding programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, known as WIC, Medicaid or housing vouchers.
The Immigration and Nationality Act has long permitted consular officers to deem applicants inadmissible on public charge grounds, but President Donald Trump in 2019 expanded the definition to include a broader range of public benefits. That expansion was challenged in court, with portions ultimately blocked before being rescinded by the Biden administration.
The full list of countries comprises of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Iran regime opened fire with live ammunition on protesters, doctor says: ‘Shoot-to-kill’
Iranian security forces escalated from pellet guns to live ammunition during protests, sharply increasing casualties, a doctor who treated wounded demonstrators told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).
Speaking after fleeing the country, the doctor told CHRI the use of live fire increased the death toll days after protests erupted Dec. 28.
“Law enforcement forces were firing pellet shotguns that scatter pellets. During those days, I received five or six calls per day about people who had been hit by two pellets in the back or pellets to the head or scalp,” the doctor claimed.
The doctor said he noticed the situation shifted on Jan. 8, when authorities imposed internet blackouts and cut off communication nationwide.
NETANYAHU AND RUBIO DISCUSS US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAN AMID ONGOING NATIONWIDE PROTESTS: REPORT
“From about 8:10 to 8:20 pm, the sound of bullets, gunfire, screams, and sporadic explosions could be heard. I was called to the hospital. When I arrived, I saw that the nature of the injuries and the number of gunshot wounds had changed completely,” the doctor said of the days around the blackout.
“The situation was totally different. Shots from close range, injuries leading to death.”
Human rights groups say thousands have been killed as security forces moved to suppress the demonstrations, with some estimates placing the death toll above 3,000, Fox News’ chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Tuesday.
The protests were fueled by anger over economic hardship, rising prices and inflation before expanding into broader anti-government demonstrations.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘STARTING TO’ CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
“The calls I received on my home phone for medical advice were no longer about pellet wounds,” the doctor said. “People were saying they had been shot, with bullets entering one side of the body and exiting the other. Live ammunition.”
Describing scenes in Isfahan, which is a major protest hub, the doctor said streets were stained with blood as security forces deployed heavier weapons.
“A large amount of blood, about a liter, had pooled in the gutter and blood trails extended for several meters,” the doctor claimed.
“The level and intensity of violence increased step by step,” he said before describing a change in aggression on Jan. 9.
IRANIAN HOSPITALS OVERWHELMED WITH INJURIES AS PROTESTS RAGE ACROSS ISLAMIC REPUBLIC
“On Friday night, I heard automatic gunfire. I am familiar with weapons and can distinguish their sounds. I heard DShK heavy machine guns. I heard PK machine guns.
“These weapons are in the possession of IRGC units — DShKs, PK machine guns, and Kalashnikovs,” the doctor said. “The trauma cases I saw were brutal, shoot-to-kill.”
Victims ranged from teenagers to elderly men, the doctor said. Some injuries were so severe that bodies were unrecognizable.
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“One colleague said that during a night shift, eight bodies were brought in with gunshot wounds to the face; their faces were unrecognizable. Many bodies are not identifiable at all,” he added.
The account comes as President Donald Trump publicly voiced support for Iranian protesters.
On Tuesday, Trump urged Iranians to “take over” their institutions, saying he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the crackdown ends.
Trump envoy reportedly meets with exiled Iranian prince as regime faces protests
White House envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly held a secret meeting with exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi over the weekend as the regime faces intensifying protests.
The alleged meeting was first reported by Axios, which cited a senior U.S. official, and said the conversation occurred over the weekend. This would represent the first high-level meeting between the Trump administration and the Iranian opposition since the anti-regime protests erupted 15 days ago. Axios noted that Pahlavi has been trying to paint himself as the “transitional” leader if the regime falls.
Pahlavi’s father, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was deposed during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which transformed the country from a monarchy to an Islamic republic.
IRANIAN DISSIDENT UNLOADS ON AMERICAN LEFT’S SILENCE ON DEADLY PROTESTS
A U.S. senior official who reportedly spoke to Axios was surprised that Pahlavi’s name was being chanted at many of the demonstrations.
“There has been an ascendance of Pahlavi. They are chanting his name in demonstrations in many cities and it seems to be happening organically,” the U.S. official told Axios.
Pahlavi has recently urged President Donald Trump to intervene, praising him as a “man of peace.”
“Mr. President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support, and action,” Pahlavi wrote in a Jan. 9 post on X. He accused Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of using the blackout to carry out a brutal crackdown and encouraged Trump to “be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran.”
IRAN REGIME FACES ‘BEGINNING OF THE END’ AS EXILED CROWN PRINCE SEES ‘GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY’
Trump recently said in an interview with Hugh Hewitt that Iran has “been told very strongly, even more strongly than I’m speaking to you right now, that if they do that, they’re going to have to pay hell,” according to The Associated Press. However, in the same interview, the president seemed to cast doubt on the idea that he would meet with Pahlavi. Witkoff’s meeting would present a significant departure from the president’s recent statements.
While the president has yet to take a public stance in favor of Pahlavi, he has been open about his support for the people of Iran.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. “I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!”
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In the early days of the protests, Trump warned the regime that the U.S. was “locked and loaded” and ready to take action if the Iranian government used violence against protesters. However, the U.S. has yet to make concrete moves despite reports of protesters being killed and Trump’s latest statement.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Iranian student shot in head at close range amid protests, body buried along roadside
A 23-year-old student was shot in the head at close range during protests in Iran, according to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, as the regime continues its violent crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.
Rubina Aminian, a student of textile and fashion design at Shariati Technical and Vocational College for Girls in Tehran, was killed Jan. 8 after leaving college and joining the protests in the capital, according to Iran Human Rights.
She is among the few victims of the recent unrest whose identity has been publicly confirmed.
“Sources close to Rubina’s family, citing eyewitnesses, told Iran Human Rights that the young Kurdish woman from Marivan was shot from close range from behind, with the bullet striking her head,” the group said in a statement.
IRAN PROTESTS SPARK REGIME SURVIVAL QUESTION AS EXILED DISSIDENT SAYS IT FEELS LIKE A ‘REVOLUTION’
Following her death, Aminian’s family traveled from their home in Kermanshah, western Iran, to Tehran to identify her body.
According to sources cited by Iran Human Rights, the family was taken to a location near the college where they saw the bodies of hundreds of young people allegedly killed during the protests.
“Most of the victims were young people between 18 and 22 years old, who had been shot at close range in the head and neck by government forces,” a source close to the family said.
IRAN PROTESTS GROW DEADLIER AS REGIME INTERNET BLACKOUT FAILS TO STOP UPRISING
The family was reportedly initially barred from identifying Aminian’s body and later prevented from taking her remains, the group said.
After extensive efforts, relatives were eventually allowed to retrieve her body and return to Kermanshah.
When they got there, intelligence forces reportedly surrounded the family home and would not allow a burial to take place.
According to Iran Human Rights, the family was forced to bury Aminian’s body along the roadside between Kermanshah and the nearby city of Kamyaran.
IRANIANS ABLE TO MAKE SOME INTERNATIONAL CALLS AS INTERNET REMAINS BLOCKED AMID PROTESTS
The family has also not been permitted to hold mourning ceremonies, and several mosques in Marivan were reportedly disallowed from hosting memorial services.
Iran’s spiraling anti-government protests have been driven by widespread anger over political repression and economic hardship, including rising inflation.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimated Tuesday that over 16,700 people have been detained.
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Other rights groups have reported extremely high death tolls, with some estimates exceeding 3,000, according to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.
Iran Human Rights described Aminian in a statement as “a young woman full of joy for life and passionate about fashion and clothing design, whose dreams were buried by the violent repression of the Islamic Republic.”
Trump says the U.S. will take ‘very strong action’ against Iran if the regime starts hanging protesters
President Donald Trump warned his administration will take “very strong action” against Iran if the regime begins hanging protesters.
“We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen,” Trump told CBS News’ Tony Dokoupil Tuesday.
“And, you know, if they want to have protests, that’s one thing. When they start killing thousands of people, and now you’re telling me about hanging, we’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not going to work out good,” he continued.
IRAN GOES DARK AS REGIME UNLEASHES FORCE, CYBER TOOLS TO CRUSH PROTESTS
Dokoupil began the exchange by asking Trump what he meant with his viral declaration to the Iranian people that “help is on the way.”
“Well, there’s a lot of help on the way and in different forms, including economic help from our standpoint, and not gonna help Iran very much,” Trump responded. “And we put Iran out of business with their nuclear capacity, and, now, depending on what’s actually happening, nobody’s been able to give us accurate numbers about how many people they’ve killed. But it looks like it could be a pretty substantial number. And that’s gonna be a lot of problems for them.”
IRAN STATE TV ACKNOWLEDGES ‘A LOT OF MARTYRS’ AS DEATH TOLL SURPASSES 3,000: REPORT
The CBS anchor then mentioned the regime’s alleged threat of hanging protesters beginning Wednesday, pressing Trump whether that would cross his “red line.”
“I haven’t heard about the hanging. If they hang them, you’re gonna see some things that — I don’t know where you come from and what your thought process is, but you’ll perhaps be very happy,” Trump said.
“What do you mean by that?” Dokoupil asked.
“We will take very strong action if they do such a thing. We will take very strong action,” Trump responded.
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Iran goes dark as regime unleashes force, cyber tools to crush protests
When protests have erupted across Iran, the government’s first response has often been not dialogue but darkness.
In recent days, Iranian authorities have imposed sweeping internet and communications blackouts, expanded the use of surveillance drones, and deployed security forces to suppress demonstrators, according to analysts and human rights groups who say Tehran, Iran, is refining a playbook designed to smother dissent before it can spread.
A nationwide internet blackout has now persisted for five days, with connectivity at near-zero levels, according to global internet monitor NetBlocks. And local authorities are also disrupting satellite internet such as Starlink to further limit Iranians’ ability to communicate.
Iran moves quickly to smother protests before they spread
The objective, analysts say, is speed.
“The Islamic Republic only has one answer for the protesters,” Jason Brodsky, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital. “The only way out of this mess that it has created for the Iranian people is by cracking down on them — more violence and more repression.”
Since the start of 2026, Iran has been rocked by anti-government protests driven by economic hardship, political repression and anger at the country’s clerical leadership, with demonstrations spreading well beyond major cities into smaller towns and rural areas. High inflation, unemployment and frustration over social restrictions have fueled unrest across generational and regional lines, challenging the regime’s claim that opposition is confined to isolated urban pockets.
Brodsky said Iran’s leadership has learned from previous protest waves that allowing unrest to gain momentum — or visibility — can quickly spiral beyond its control. In 2019 and again in 2022, demonstrations expanded rapidly once images of violence spread online, drawing international scrutiny and pressure.
That experience, he said, has shaped how the regime responds now.
“This is a very well-worn playbook that the Islamic Republic employs,” Brodsky said, describing a layered security response designed to contain protests early. Iranian police are typically deployed first, with more powerful forces such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia, Iran’s volunteer paramilitary force, held in reserve.
Alongside communications blackouts and arrests, Iranian authorities also are leaning more heavily on surveillance technology to track protesters — including the use of drones to monitor crowds and identify individuals.
IRAN CRACKDOWN RATTLES MIDDLE EAST AS ANALYSTS WEIGH US OPTIONS SHORT OF MILITARY INTERVENTION
Brodsky said the Iranian regime increasingly relies on aerial surveillance and digital tracking tools to gather intelligence during demonstrations, allowing security forces to identify participants even after crowds disperse.
“They’re trying to collect intelligence on who is involved,” he said, describing efforts to map protest networks and determine how demonstrations are being organized.
United Nations investigators previously have documented Iran’s expanding use of technology-enabled repression, including surveillance drones, facial recognition software and digital tracking systems aimed at identifying dissidents. Rights groups say that data collected during protests is often used later to carry out arrests, intimidation and prosecutions.
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Killings and imprisonments reportedly skyrocketed over the weekend and the start of this week. At least 3,000 people have been killed, Fox News’ Trey Yingst has reported, and the real figure is likely to be higher. More than 10,000 people have been arrested.
By comparison, Iran security forces killed 500+ people in a months-long protest crackdown over 2022 and 2023, according to the State Department, and 300 people during a 2019 protest wave, according to Amnesty International.
As Iran represses protests, Washington weighs its options
As President Donald Trump weighs strike options in Iran, the U.S. still has a broad range of non-kinetic tools at its disposal.
Information and cyber warfare may be the most effective non-kinetic options, particularly as Tehran relies on internet shutdowns, surveillance and digital command-and-control systems to suppress dissent.
IRAN’S COLLAPSE OR SURVIVAL HINGES ON ONE CHOICE INSIDE THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD
“The U.S. has a very robust offensive cyber capability,” Brodsky said.
Those capabilities were on display during an operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier in January, when the U.S. launched a cyberattack that scrambled communications and power sources in Caracas, Venezuela.
“It could also jam the command and control apparatus of the regime.”
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, cautioned that U.S. action aimed at supporting protesters could backfire if it is poorly targeted or perceived as disconnected from the crackdown on the streets.
He said strikes that cause civilian casualties or focus on unrelated strategic targets could push Iranians into “survival mode,” reducing protest activity rather than fueling it. By contrast, Taleblu argued that actions directly aimed at the regime’s repression apparatus — including systems used to jam communications — are more likely to be seen and felt by protesters themselves.
“An intermediate option could be kinetic or cyberattacks against the infrastructure supporting the military jamming the regime is doing to Starlink.”
The U.S. could also “creatively declassify intelligence to assist the protesters and give them a heads up on danger and other efforts,” Brodsky said.
Trump has said he would speak with Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran through Musk’s Starlink technology.
Starlink can bypass state-controlled infrastructure, but it requires physical terminals on the ground — a major constraint in a country where such equipment is illegal and aggressively targeted by security forces.
Iran has also shown it is willing to jam satellite signals and hunt for Starlink terminals, turning connectivity into a cat-and-mouse game that carries serious risks for users. Rights groups warn that Iranians caught using satellite internet have faced arrest and harsh punishment.
But analysts say the latest crackdown has left many Iranians more defiant than fearful.
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“There is an increasing fearlessness among the Iranian people that has become much more palpable and tangible in every round of protests that we’ve seen in recent years. And it’s very difficult to get the genie back in the bottle for the regime once the fear factor has been eroded,” Brodsky said.
Through the 12-Day War and Israel’s offensive campaign on its proxies, “the regime’s deterrence has been eroded,” he added.
Graham suggests Trump ‘help’ Iran protesters with ‘military, cyber and psychological attacks’ against regime
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday suggested that the “meat and bones” of President Donald Trump’s message of “help” to Iran’s anti-regime demonstrators should include “military, cyber and psychological attacks” against the regime.
Graham issued the message in a post on X, describing Trump as “Reagan Plus” and “certainly not Obama” when it comes to protecting America’s national security interests.
“There is no bigger threat to world order than the Iranian ayatollah’s religious Nazi regime that wantonly kills its people, supports international terrorism and has American blood on its hands,” Graham wrote. “The death blow to the ayatollah is going to be a combination of the incredible patriotic bravery of the protestors, and decisive action by President Trump. The protestors go to the streets unarmed, risking their lives because they believe President Trump has their backs.”
Graham wrote that the “tipping point” will be Trump’s “resolve.”
LIZ PEEK: TRUMP IS PUTTING AMERICA FIRST BY BACKING IRAN INTO A CORNER
“No boots on the ground, but unleashing holy hell – as he promised – on the regime that has trampled every red line,” the senator wrote. “A massive wave of military, cyber and psychological attacks is the meat and bones of ‘help is on the way.’”
Graham said he would want to destroy the regime’s infrastructure that allows the killing of the Iranian people, and to “take down” the leaders responsible for the killing.
“The Iranian people’s long nightmare will soon be over,” he wrote.
‘LEAVE IRAN NOW’: US EMBASSY POSTS WARNING TO AMERICANS STILL IN THE COUNTRY
Graham was responding to an announcement Trump earlier made on social media.
Trump vowed that those responsible for killing anti-regime demonstrators will “pay a big price,” saying he has canceled all meetings with the Iranian regime until its crackdown on unrest ends. Iran had previously claimed it was in contact with U.S. officials amid the protests.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”
“I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” he added.
As Trump later toured a Ford factory in Detroit, FOX Business White House correspondent Edward Lawrence asked him what kind of “help” he meant.
“You’re going to have to figure that one out,” Trump replied.
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Since the unrest broke out, Iranian authorities have killed at least 646 protesters, with thousands more deaths expected to be confirmed. Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Tuesday that there are reports of at least 3,000 Iranians being killed, though the real number is likely to be higher.
Iran state TV acknowledges ‘a lot of martyrs’ as death toll surpasses 3,000: report
Iranian state television acknowledged Tuesday that the Islamic Republic has lost “a lot of martyrs” in ongoing anti-government protests sweeping the country, a report said.
The development comes as at least 2,000 people have been killed in the demonstrations, according to an activist group. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces. Other reports say the death toll is over 3,000, with the real number likely to be even higher.
A news anchor on Iranian state TV read a statement claiming “armed and terrorist groups” led the country “to present a lot of martyrs to God,” The Associated Press reported. Iranian state TV said officials will hold a funeral Wednesday for the “martyrs and security defenders” who have died in the protests.
Iran’s regime has been trying to crack down on the protests, which began in late December with shopkeepers and bazaar merchants demonstrating against accelerating inflation and the collapse of the rial. The unrest soon spread to universities and provincial cities, with young men clashing with security forces.
US OPENS NEW AIR DEFENSE OPERATIONS CELL AT QATAR BASE THAT IRAN TARGETED IN RETALIATORY ATTACK
“The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement Tuesday.
The U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran issued a warning earlier today telling American citizens who are still in the country to leave immediately.
President Donald Trump later urged the people of Iran to “take over” the country’s institutions, saying he has canceled all meetings with the Iranian regime until its crackdown on unrest ends.
IRAN’S ‘DISTINCTIVE’ DRONE DEPLOYMENT SEES DEATH TOLL SOAR AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS
Trump made the announcement on social media, vowing that those responsible for killing anti-regime demonstrators will “pay a big price.” Iran had previously claimed it was in contact with U.S. officials amid the protests.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”
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“I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” he added.
Iranian dissident unloads on American left’s silence on deadly protests
Iranian-American activist Masih Alinejad is accusing the American left of turning its back on Iranian protesters amid reports of thousands of deaths and a near-total communications blackout imposed by the regime.
“The silence of [the] left and liberals in America and Europe is not an accidental silence. It’s an ideological silence,” Alinejad said Tuesday on “Fox & Friends.”
Alinejad, who has been targeted by the Iranian regime for her activism, said Western activists and celebrities who loudly champion “Free Palestine” causes have remained silent as Iranians are killed in the streets.
“It will expose their hypocrisy,” she said.
MORNING GLORY: TRUMP IS ON THE CUSP OF GREATNESS. KHAMENEI IS ON THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS
“It will expose how they sympathize with our killers, with Islamist terrorists.”
Iran’s regime is facing one of the largest anti-government movements in years. Iranian rights groups say thousands have been killed as security forces move to suppress demonstrations, with some estimates putting the death toll above 3,000, Fox News’ Trey Yingst reported Monday.
She accused Western figures of helping the regime by portraying protesters’ calls for regime change as a foreign plot led by Israel or President Donald Trump.
IRAN’S ‘DISTINCTIVE’ DRONE DEPLOYMENT SEES DEATH TOLL SOAR AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS
“You are playing in the Islamic Republic’s hands, and you are actually putting our lives in danger,” Alinejad said.
The Iranian government has cut off public internet access, leaving the country in near-total communications darkness as thousands demonstrate. Protesters are outraged over the country’s worsening economic situation as the value of its currency continues to fall.
“I don’t even know if my family are alive or not. People do not have cell phones, they do not have landlines, they do not have access to [the] internet,” said Alinejad.
She warned that those who remain silent on supporting Iranians against the regime will ultimately be judged by history.
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On Monday, Trump announced that any country that continues to do business with Iran will face a 25% tariff on all trade with the United States.
Trump has also sharply criticized the regime’s actions, warning that Iran is “starting to” cross red lines in its treatment of protesters and that the U.S. is considering “very strong options.”
Lindsey Graham goes scorched earth on ‘piece of crap’ DNC chair over Iran-US comparisons
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., went off on Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin Monday for comparing the United States under President Donald Trump to Iran’s repressive regime, calling him a “worthless piece of crap.”
Graham, who has been supportive of Trump taking possible military action against Iran if it continues to slaughter anti-regime protesters, was clearly angered by Martin’s words during an appearance on “Hannity.”
“Number one, Ken Martin is a worthless piece of crap,” Graham said. “Can you imagine this guy fighting for freedom? To compare President Trump and the Trump regime to the ayatollah means you got the worst case of Trump derangement syndrome in the world. Go to hell.”
“President Trump is standing with people demanding their freedom. Why are these people in the streets this long? They believe Trump has their back,” he argued.
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE CHAIR COMPARES US TO IRAN, CLAIMS BOTH ARE ‘KILLING PROTESTERS’
“And the leader of the Democratic Party — you’re sick, pal. Where are the Democrats? You cheer on Hamas, who wants to kill the Jews. Now you got people in Iran like the crown prince who want to be our friend. But because it may happen on Trump’s watch, you’re belittling the movement,” Graham said.
Graham said that if the repressive regime in Iran falls, America is safer.
Martin made his first comparison on X, expressing support for both protesters in the U.S. and Iran for rising up against “systems that wield violence without accountability.”
“From Tehran to my birthplace of Minneapolis, people are rising up against systems that wield violence without accountability. In Iran, brave protestors confront a far-right theocratic regime that crushes dissent and denies basic freedoms,” Martin wrote.
DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST CALLS OUT PARTY FOR ‘OPPOSE FIRST, THINK LATER’ RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S CAPTURE OF MADURO
He added, “Here at home, tens of thousands are marching after the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good — demanding justice, transparency, and an end to an unchecked federal force that takes lives and tears families apart. Solidarity across borders means opposing authoritarian power everywhere and defending the right to live free from fear and state violence. #StandWithIran #JusticeForReneeGood #EndAuthoritarianism.”
Martin doubled down in another post on X hours later.
“If comparing the U.S. to Iran makes you angry, ask why. Killing protesters. Crushing dissent. Kidnapping and disappearing legal citizens. Ignoring courts. Threatening critics. Terrorizing communities. That’s authoritarian behavior—anywhere. If you’re rushing to defend it, maybe the problem isn’t the comparison. Trump keeps pushing it, Americans aren’t buying it, and Minneapolis won’t be silent,” Martin wrote.
TRUMP HAS THREE STRIKE OPTIONS THAT WOULD AID THE PROTESTERS AND DEVASTATE IRAN
Protests have continued in Iran over the country’s economic freefall, and many have begun to demand regime change as the demonstrations continue.
Thousands have been arrested, according to reports. Agencies have been unable to confirm the total death toll because of an internet blackout as the country’s leaders seek to quell the dissent, but The Associated Press reported that more than 500 were killed.
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US opens new air defense operations cell at Qatar base that Iran targeted in retaliatory attack
The U.S. military and its regional partners opened a new air defense operations cell in Qatar to “enhance integrated air and missile defense,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday, as tensions are escalating in Iran.
The cell was opened at Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha – the same base that Iran targeted in a retaliatory attack last June following U.S. strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
The base is home to 10,000 American forces and is the U.S.’s largest military installation in the Middle East. Located southwest of Doha, it serves as a hub for logistical operations for the U.S. mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
“This is a significant step forward in strengthening regional defense cooperation,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement on Tuesday. “This cell will improve how regional forces coordinate and share air and missile defense responsibilities across the Middle East.”
FLASHBACK: IRAN ATTACKS US BASE IN QATAR, TRUMP THANKS TEHRAN FOR ADVANCE NOTICE AND ‘VERY WEAK RESPONSE’
CENTCOM said the new Middle Eastern Air Defense – Combined Defense Operations Cell is located in the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) and is made up of personnel from the U.S. and its regional partners.
“The Qatar-based CAOC, established more than 20 years ago, currently includes representatives from 17 nations who coordinate the employment of military air assets across the Middle East region,” CENTCOM said.
“U.S. Air Force Central service members will work alongside regional counterparts… in planning multinational exercises, conducting drills, and responding to contingencies,” CENTCOM added. “The cell will also be responsible for sharing information and threat warnings.”
IRANIAN REGIME TARGETING STARLINK USERS IN BID TO SQUASH LEAKING PROTEST FOOTAGE
A U.S. defense official told Fox News Digital last year that Iran had used short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles to attack Al Udeid, but no casualties had been reported.
“Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.
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More than 2,000 people have been killed in the ongoing anti-government demonstrations in Iran, according to an activist group. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Tuesday that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces, The Associated Press reported. Other reports have the death toll higher.
Iran regime faces ‘beginning of the end’ as exiled crown prince sees ‘golden opportunity’
Unrest in Iran signals the “beginning of the end” for the Islamic regime and a “golden opportunity” to finish it once and for all, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said during a Monday appearance on “Hannity.”
“They know they’re on their way down. The decisive blow can be the game-changer and the knockout punch to this regime…” he said.
“We have this golden opportunity now. The regime is on the brink of collapse. Let’s push it over the cliff and be done with them.”
Pahlavi pointed to what he described as growing fractures within Iran’s security forces, saying intelligence reports suggest a multitude of military and paramilitary members have refused to carry out orders to crack down on protesters.
GRAHAM WARNS IRANIAN AYATOLLAH: ‘TRUMP IS GONNA KILL YOU’ IF INTERNAL CRACKDOWN CONTINUES
Those reported fractures, along with sustained public unrest and pressure from the Trump administration, are fueling renewed hope among regime opponents for meaningful change.
“I believe President Trump knows exactly what he’s facing and is not buying into the regime’s last-gasp attempts to promise negotiations,” Pahlavi said.
“Every time they have their backs to the wall, they come back with that line, and nobody’s fooled anymore.”
TRUMP HAS THREE STRIKE OPTIONS THAT WOULD AID THE PROTESTERS AND DEVASTATE IRAN
“I don’t think this administration is fooled by the regime’s feeble attempts to buy time yet again,” he added.
“Time is running out, and this is where the people in the streets are saying, ‘We are the boots on the ground. We don’t need American boots on the ground. Count on us. We’re doing our part. But come to the rescue and help us get rid of them.’”
President Trump voiced support for the protesters in a Truth Social post Saturday, writing that the “USA stands ready to help” as Iran looks at “freedom.”
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The president also said at a news conference last week that the U.S. would respond forcefully if the regime resorts to mass violence.
“We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts,” he said.