Rubio revokes Iranian officials’ US travel privileges over deadly protest crackdown killing thousands
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently revoked Iranian senior officials and their family members’ privilege to travel to the U.S., citing ongoing oppression by the regime.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime is accused of killing more than 6,200 protesters since Dec. 28, with nearly 17,100 additional arrests as internet communications remain halted, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
“As the people of Iran continue to fight for their basic rights, [Rubio] took action this week to revoke the privilege of Iranian senior officials and their family members to be in the United States,” the State Department wrote in an X post.
“Those who profit from the Iranian regime’s brutal oppression are not welcome to benefit from our immigration system.”
IRAN’S TOP PROSECUTOR CRITICIZES TRUMP’S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT 800-PLUS EXECUTIONS WERE HALTED: ‘COMPLETELY FALSE’
In addition to the potential civil rights violations in Iran, tensions have flared between Khamenei and President Donald Trump as the U.S. attempts to strike a nuclear deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned on Wednesday the nation’s military is “prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea.”
Araghchi claimed Iran has “always welcomed” a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable nuclear deal that would ensure Iran’s rights to peaceful nuclear technology and guarantee no nuclear weapons.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘FINAL’ 25% TARIFF ON COUNTRIES DOING BUSINESS WITH IRAN REGIME
Trump fired back on Truth Social, warning a “massive” armada was heading to Iran “with speed and violence, if necessary.”
“Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” Trump wrote in a post. “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”
The president said Thursday night it would be “great” if the U.S. did not have to use the military fleet.
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The State Department on Wednesday also demanded Tehran overturn the death penalty for 19-year-old Saleh Mohammadi, a decorated Iranian wrestler who was arrested while peacefully protesting against the regime earlier this month.
EU to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as terrorists; Germany warns of rapid action
The European Union (EU) moved Thursday to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization, and Germany pledged to make the decision legally binding as soon as possible.
The move also came alongside a new round of EU sanctions targeting Iranian officials and entities amid the violent crackdown on protests and mass killings that have swept across the country since Dec. 28.
Tehran’s military support for Russia was also included in the measures.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the designation and the sanctions package Thursday.
ARMED MILITIAS FIRE HEAVY MACHINE GUNS THROUGH TEHRAN STREETS IN DEADLY NIGHT ATTACKS
“I welcome the political agreement on new sanctions against the murderous Iranian regime,” von der Leyen wrote in a post on X. “And on the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. This was long overdue.
“‘Terrorist’ is indeed how you call a regime that crushes its own people’s protests in blood. Europe stands with the people of Iran in their brave fight for freedom.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the EU would move quickly to implement the designation, calling it a strong political signal that reflected the scale of repression inside Iran.
“The next step will be the rapid implementation towards a legally binding listing,” Wadephul warned, adding that the EU stood “side by side with the Iranian people” against repression.
Wadephul accused the IRGC and its auxiliary forces of meeting protesters with extreme violence, carrying out executions and having a destabilizing role across the Middle East.
As of Thursday, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported 6,373 confirmed fatalities, with an additional 17,091 deaths under review.
IRANIAN REGIME ELITES ALLEGEDLY MOVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OUT OF COUNTRY AMID SANCTIONS
The organization also cited continued communication restrictions, limited internet restoration and ongoing economic and social fallout, saying arrests and security pressure had entered what it described as a “post-crackdown phase.”
According to Reuters, EU foreign ministers also approved new human rights sanctions targeting Iranian “individuals and entities” linked to the suppression of protests.
Those sanctioned include Iran’s interior minister, senior IRGC commanders, police chiefs, judges from revolutionary courts and cyber officials involved in censorship and surveillance.
Some will also be sanctioned for “providing support” to Russia, Reuters noted.
LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR US TO USE ‘ANY MEANS NECESSARY’ TO STOP THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE KILLING OF IRANIANS
The U.S. designated the IRGC a Foreign Terrorist Organization in April 2019. Canada followed in June 2024. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have also designated the IRGC a terrorist group.
Advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) welcomed the EU’s move and urged swift implementation, calling on the U.K. to follow suit.
“UANI applauds the EU for announcing its intention to designate the IRGC, the Islamic Republic’s ideological army, as the terrorists that they are,” the group said in a statement.
“We now urge the United Kingdom to proscribe the IRGC, following the lead of the EU, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The IRGC must be denied the ability to operate with impunity abroad.”
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Reacting to the news, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, criticized the EU’s designation.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is one of the strongest and most effective anti-terrorism forces in the world; only those who stand on the side of the terrorists themselves could deny the IRGC’s record in the fight against ISIS terrorism,” he said in a post on X.
State Department demands Iran halt execution of 19-year-old wrestling star
Iran is seeking to execute a decorated Iranian wrestler for merely peacefully protesting against the regime in early January, prompting the U.S. State Department on Wednesday to demand that Tehran overturn the death penalty for 19-year-old Saleh Mohammadi.
Wrestling is a national pastime in Iran and a sport liked by President Donald Trump, who sought to save the life of champion Iranian Greco-Roman wrestler Navid Afkari in 2020. The clerical regime in Iran executed Afkari for his 2018 role in a demonstration against the economic and political corruption of the theocratic state.
According to the official X account for the State Department in Farsi, a post on Wednesday read: “The United States is deeply concerned by reports that 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi is facing imminent execution. The regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran is massacring young people and destroying Iran’s future. We call on the Iranian regime to halt the execution of Saleh Mohammadi and all those sentenced to death for exercising their fundamental rights. #SalehMohammadi #StopExecutionsInIran #HumanRights #IranProtest.”
The Iranian American, Sardar Pashaei, who won a Greco-Roman wrestling world championship title for Iran and coached the country’s elite Greco-Roman team, told Fox News Digital, “In less than 10 days, the Iranian regime shot dead more than 30 athletes across the country. The youngest was just 15 years old. The victims included youth athletes, national champions, coaches and international referees. Every one of them was killed by gunfire.”
IRAN ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULTS ON TEENAGE PRISONERS, WHILE FAMILIES CHARGED TO RECOVER REMAINS OF LOVED ONES
He added that his organization, Hiwa, “has documented only confirmed cases. Many more athletes remain missing, imprisoned, or at risk of torture and execution, while families across Iran continue searching for loved ones with no answers or justice.” He praised the State Department’s actions in publicly calling for Saleh Mohammadi’s release.
FORMER IRANIAN PRISONERS REVEAL TORTURE HORRORS AS REGIME KILLS PROTESTERS ON SIGHT DURING CRACKDOWN
Pashaei continued, “A regime that jails, tortures and murders its own athletes has no place in the international sporting community. Sport must never be used to whitewash blood. Hiwa is preparing an official letter demanding that the International Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling suspend and ban Iran from all international competitions.”
Security forces for the Islamic Republic seized Olympic wrestler Alireza Nejati, who has won medals in world championships, after he posted a social media message to his more than 78,000 Instagram followers. The regime imprisoned Nejati and reportedly tortured him.
“I wish everyone a beautiful weekend full of success and good vibes,” the 27-year-old Greco-Roman wrestling champion wrote on Jan. 7. He concluded his message with, “This is the end.”
Fox News Digital sent email press queries and conducted telephone calls to the UWW.
An IOC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that, “Sadly, today’s world is divided and full of conflicts and tragedies. The IOC cares deeply about the situation of athletes all around the globe and is concerned every time it learns of individual cases of mistreatment. At this moment in time, we are particularly concerned about the situation of Iranian athletes impacted by the events unfolding in their country – as we are with all athletes who face conflict and tragedies elsewhere in the world. Unfortunately, these situations are more regularly brought to our attention due to the increasingly divided world in which we live.”
The spokesperson continued, “The IOC is a sports organization whose remit and success is based on bringing the world together in peaceful competition. We have to be realistic about the IOC’s ability to directly influence global and national affairs. At the same time, we will continue to work with our Olympic stakeholders to help where we can, often through quiet sport diplomacy. The IOC remains in touch with the Olympic community from Iran.”
IRAN TO EXECUTE 2ND WRESTLER, SPARKING OUTRAGE FROM US STATE DEPARTMENT
Foreign Desk editor-in-chief, Lisa Daftari, who is a leading expert on Iran, told Fox News Digital, “Saleh Mohammadi is a 19‑year‑old athlete whose only ‘crime’ was to stand with his people, yet he now faces an imminent death sentence designed to make an example out of him and terrify an entire nation. His imminent execution would not be justice, it would be a warning shot at every young Iranian who dares dream of freedom — and the world’s response will show protesters whether they are truly alone or not.”
She added, “By threatening to kill its youth — its athletes, artists, musicians and brightest minds — the regime is making clear that it does not see the Iranian people as its future, but as a threat to be silenced.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. State Department for a comment.
Iran to hold live-fire drills in Strait of Hormuz with US armada in Middle East
Iran will conduct live-fire military drills next week in the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump announced a U.S. armada was on its way to the region amid escalating tensions with Tehran.
The exercises will be carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval forces, Iranian state media reported Thursday.
The announcement came one day after Trump said a large naval force, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, was heading toward Iran.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, the president warned Tehran to quickly return to negotiations over its nuclear program, saying the fleet was prepared to act with “speed and violence” if necessary.
US OPENS NEW AIR DEFENSE OPERATIONS CELL AT QATAR BASE THAT IRAN TARGETED IN RETALIATORY ATTACK
“Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran,” he wrote. “The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”
The U.S. struck Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites in June using B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles.
The bombers flew for 37 hours non-stop from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to drop 12 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on Fordow and two on Natanz.
TOP IRANIAN GENERAL THREATENS TO ‘CUT OFF’ TRUMP’S HAND OVER POTENTIAL MILITARY STRIKES
More than two dozen cruise missiles were also launched at Isfahan from a U.S. submarine.
Trump is weighing military action against Tehran, as U.S. assets move into the region amid international scrutiny over a crackdown by the Islamic regime that has killed thousands of anti-government protesters.
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Iran warned last week that it would respond “with everything we have” to any new U.S. military attack, accusing Washington and its allies of exploiting recent unrest to push the region toward a wider war.
“As Iranians grieve their loved ones and rebuild what has been destroyed, another threat looms: the final failure of diplomacy. Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said,.
Iran responds to Trump pressure with warning of retaliation: ‘Fingers on the trigger’
As President Donald Trump pressures Iran to strike a nuclear deal, the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister warned that the nation’s military is ready to retaliate against any possible “aggression.”
“Our brave Armed Forces are prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea. The valuable lessons learned from the 12-Day War have enabled us to respond even more strongly, rapidly, and profoundly,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned in a Wednesday post on X.
He claimed that Iran is open to a deal and has never attempted to obtain nuclear weapons.
TRUMP PRESSURES IRAN TO ‘COME TO THE TABLE’ AS ‘MASSIVE’ US ARMADA DRAWS NEAR
“At the same time, Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL — on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation — which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Such weapons have no place in our security calculations, and we have NEVER sought to acquire them,” Araghchi alleged.
In a Wednesday Truth Social post, Trump warned Iran that “time is running out” as U.S. warships move to the Middle East.
GULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR IRAN; US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: ‘HEIGHTENED RISK’
“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully, Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” the president warned.
“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations responded in a post on X.
TRUMP THREATENS TO END IRAQ SUPPORT OVER AL-MALIKI COMEBACK BID TIED TO IRAN INFLUENCE
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“Last time the U.S. blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives. Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests — BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” the mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN asserted in the post.
Federal judge gives man 15 years for Iran-backed assassination plot on US soil
A federal judge sentenced a would-be assassin to the maximum 15 years in prison for plotting to kill an Iranian American journalist in New York on behalf of Iran’s government.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman said the defendant, Carlisle Rivera, caused “great harm” to American journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad and her husband, calling the messages Rivera exchanged while planning the 2024 Brooklyn attack “chilling.”
Alinejad told the court the repeated assassination attempts against her were not just personal threats, but attacks on Americans and U.S. sovereignty.
“I’m just a woman,” she said. “My weapon is my voice. My weapon is my social media.”
IRAN WILL RETALIATE ‘WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE’ IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS
She urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence to deter future plots “targeting U.S. citizens on U.S. soil.”
Before sentencing, Rivera, 51, apologized, telling the judge, “I’m deeply sorry for my actions.”
In a brief courtroom moment, Rivera’s fiancée approached Alinejad during a recess, sobbing and apologizing. Alinejad later said she told the woman she was fighting not only for herself, but “for all Americans.”
SECRET SERVICE AWARE AFTER IRANIAN STATE TV AIRS TRUMP THREAT FEATURING PHOTO OF BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Outside the Manhattan courthouse, Alinejad warned that the violence used to silence dissidents in Iran must not be allowed to spread to the United States. Holding a tablet showing images of Iranians killed during protests, she said Americans should not ignore the regime’s reach.
She also called on President Donald Trump to take stronger action against Iran’s leadership, comparing the regime to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a U.S. military operation earlier this year and brought to New York on drug trafficking charges.
“Removing terrorists is not tragedy. It’s a sign of justice,” Alinejad said, adding she does not support bombing Iran but wants its leaders removed.
She noted that U.S. authorities have said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was behind multiple plots to kill her, as well as a separate plot targeting Trump. Tehran has denied the allegations.
Alinejad fled Iran in 2009 after the country’s disputed presidential election and became a U.S. citizen in 2019. She rose to prominence through campaigns encouraging Iranian women to defy the regime’s mandatory headscarf law and has since become a global advocate for women’s rights.
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Last year, two men were convicted and sentenced to 25 years for plotting to kidnap and kill her in 2022. Prosecutors said Iran placed a $500,000 bounty on her head.
Trump threatens to end Iraq support over al-Maliki comeback bid tied to Iran influence
President Donald Trump appealed to Iraqis on Tuesday to not reinstate the controversial former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to a new term because of his alleged corruption and severe mismanagement of the country’s economy and security situation.
Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform: “I’m hearing that the Great Country of Iraq might make a very bad choice by reinstalling Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister. Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again. Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq and, if we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom. MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!”
A parliamentary session was slated for Tuesday to elect a president, who would then appoint the prime minister. The meeting was canceled because of a lack of a quorum.
IRAQI STATE BANK ACCUSED OF PROCESSING PAYMENTS FOR HOUTHI TERRORISTS WHO DISRUPT RED SEA COMMERCE
Al-Maliki fired back at Trump on Wednesday, stating, “We reject the blatant American interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and consider it a violation of its sovereignty.”
The Trump administration vehemently opposes al-Maliki attempts to secure a third term because of his close ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran — a state-sponsor of terrorism, according to the U.S. State Department.
Al-Maliki’s previous premiership (2006 to 2014) was plagued by sectarian violence, including his reported failure to form an inclusive government that did not discriminate against Iraqi Kurds and Sunni Muslims in favor of Shiite Muslims.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told caretaker Prime Minister al-Sudani on Sunday that the U.S. was concerned about a pro-Iran government seizing control of the Iraqi state.
“The Secretary emphasized that a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq,” said U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
MYSTERY SURROUNDS VISIT TO DC OF IRAN-BACKED IRAQI JUDGE WHO ISSUED WARRANT FOR TRUMP’S ARREST
Al-Maliki ended his second term in 2014 after the Obama administration’s growing frustration with his security blind spots that saw the rise of the Islamic State in the same year across a large swathe of Iraqi and Syrian territory.
Al-Sudani secured the most seats in November’s parliamentary elections but withdrew his candidacy this month. The 75-year-old al-Maliki, from the Shiite Islamist Dawa Party, tossed his hat in the political ring and won the support of the Coordination Framework, a collection of Shia parties that is the largest parliamentary bloc.
Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, told Fox News Digital that “Iran has exercised tremendous influence over Iraq. Ayatollah Khamenei personally ‘blessed’ Nouri al-Maliki’s nomination. Even if Maliki is ultimately dropped, Iran will simply nominate another candidate who is secretly acceptable to Washington. That individual may even be given leeway to say the right things publicly in order to appease the U.S., while remaining fully aligned with Tehran behind the scenes.”
Qanbar, who worked as a civil engineer in Iraq, added, “As for the Iraqi elections, the process itself has been systematically engineered to ensure that Iran’s proxies win without meaningful resistance. These elections are not contests between Iranian-backed factions and genuine alternatives; rather, they are mechanisms to divide votes among groups already approved by Iran. Any real dissent has been banned, imprisoned, or eliminated.”
He noted that “I have often used the analogy that Iraqi elections resemble a soccer match with only one goal, no goalkeeper and only one team allowed on the field,” and warned, “the United States fails to see these structural manipulations.”
An Iraqi Kurdish official also echoed the view that Iran has gained greater control of Iraqi power politics. The official told Fox News Digital that, “Under Sudani’s government, Iran’s proxies have doubled on the state payroll and receive over $3 billion a year. He established the Muhandes company — the PMF’s investment wing, securing public contracts and buying weapons.”
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) is an umbrella organization of Shiite militias loyal to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The PMF wields enormous power in Iraq.
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The Iraqi Kurdish official said, “Economically, Iran’s oil blending in Basra has been formalized with official state support. Financially, Iraq’s state and private banks have funneled billions in U.S. dollar bills into Iran under Sudani, bringing Tehran critical relief against U.S. sanctions.”
The official added, “Iran, of course, has always been ahead of the curve in Iraq. When the pro-Western candidate Ayad Allawi beat Maliki in the 2010 elections, it was the Americans who handed Maliki a second term — an odd moment of alignment with Iran against their own preferred outcome.” He said he hopes the U.S. won’t make the same mistake again.
Gulf shipping operations grind to halt near Iran; US quietly prepares for possible strike: ‘Heightened risk’
Shipping in the Persian Gulf dipped sharply Wednesday as tensions with Iran intensified amid signs the U.S. was positioning military forces for a potential strike, according to maritime intelligence assessments.
The U.S. Navy’s USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group entered the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Monday, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital, as President Donald Trump continued to keep military options on the table.
“At this stage, it remains ambiguous, and probably intentionally ambiguous, what the objectives and desired outcomes are of any U.S. military action,” Ambrey Intelligence’s Robert Peters told Fox News Digital.
“This means that there are a wider range of possibilities and retaliatory scenarios under consideration.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘FINAL’ 25% TARIFF ON COUNTRIES DOING BUSINESS WITH IRAN REGIME
“That said, there are five U.S.-flagged merchant vessels, tankers and cargo ships in the Gulf today — two transited the Strait of Hormuz earlier without any apparent issues — but those already in the Gulf and destined for the U.S. are at heightened risk,” he added.
Trump, who earlier this week indicated “numerous” calls were received from Iran, also posted about the situation on Truth Social Wednesday morning.
“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela,” he wrote.
IRAN POSES A FAR MORE DANGEROUS MILITARY TEST FOR THE US THAN VENEZUELA, EXPERTS WARN
“Like with Venezuela, it is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL!”
The post came as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported the death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has surpassed 6,200 since the outset Dec. 28.
The organization said nearly 17,100 more were under investigation with “a continuation of both scattered and mass arrests” as internet restrictions continue.
TRUMP THREATENS IRAN WITH CRUSHING RESPONSE AS TEHRAN DENIES HALTING PROTEST EXECUTIONS
Peters meanwhile, claimed that “shipping companies have been advised to reduce aggregate risk when operating in the Arabian/Persian Gulf.
“This means limiting the number of ships that could be exposed to retaliatory action, and sometimes ships will await further instructions closer to their next port in the Gulf,” he said. “At this point, it is more appropriate to wait further away in case of an escalation.”
Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned Wednesday that any military action by the U.S. from any origin and at any level “will be regarded as the start of a war, and the response will be immediate, all-out, and unprecedented, targeting the heart of Tel Aviv and all those who support the aggressor,” according to Iran International.
IRAN STRIKES COULD SIGNAL LIMITS OF BEIJING, MOSCOW’S POWER AS US FLEXES STRENGTH
“Our brave Armed Forces are prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.
With tensions rising in the region, Peters described how shipowners may be approached by cargo charterers to load cargo in the Gulf.
“Then they will make the decision to avoid the Gulf for the time being until the tensions reduce,” Peters added. “Interestingly, last year the Iranians did not take retaliatory action in the maritime sphere. Israeli shipping was already avoiding the Gulf, and the U.S. military action was highly targeted at the nuclear capabilities.”
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But Peters warned that the situation “may see something similar again. If there is a much broader, regime-destabilizing operation, the effects could be considerable for wider shipping.
“During periods like this, we tend to see greater risk aversion and inquiries from those asked to pick up cargo for U.S. charterers and destined for the U.S.,” he added.
Trump pressures Iran to ‘come to the table’ as ‘massive’ US armada draws near
President Donald Trump urged Iran to “come to the table” as the U.S. deploys a “massive armada” to the region on Wednesday.
Trump confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group are deploying as a direct threat to the Iranian regime. The president said a major attack may be necessary of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime does not make a deal with the U.S.
“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,” he added.
SECRET SERVICE AWARE AFTER IRANIAN STATE TV AIRS TRUMP THREAT FEATURING PHOTO OF BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Iran’s mission to the United Nations responded to Trump’s post within hours, vowing to defend itself.
“Last time the U.S. blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives. Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” the statement read.
Trump said earlier this week that Tehran appears willing to negotiate amid the U.S. military buildup.
In a Monday interview with Axios, Trump suggested that Tehran had reached out on “numerous occasions” and “want[s] to make a deal.”
“They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk,” the president told the outlet.
ISRAELI UN AMBASSADOR SENDS STARK WARNING TO IRAN AMID GROWING UNREST
According to U.S. officials, also cited by Axios, any potential agreement would need Tehran to remove all enriched uranium, cap its long-range missile stockpile, a change in support for regional proxy forces, and cease independent uranium enrichment, terms Iranian leaders have not agreed to.
The Abraham Lincoln entered CENTCOM waters on Monday
The U.S. military buildup comes amid widespread unrest inside Iran following protests that began Dec. 28.
According to a recent report from Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the confirmed death toll from the protests has reached 5,848, with an additional 17,091 deaths under investigation.
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Khamenei has been sheltering in a fortified underground facility, according to Iran International.
Ted Cruz urges US to arm Iranian protesters as militias threaten ‘total war’ against America
Sen. Ted Cruz called for the U.S. to arm Iranian protesters Tuesday as unrest continues inside the nation and Iran-backed militias issued threats against Washington.
“We should be arming the protesters in Iran. NOW,” Cruz wrote in a post on X.
“For the Iranian people to overthrow the Ayatollah — a tyrant who routinely chants ‘death to America’ — would make America much, much safer,” the Texas Republican added.
Cruz was responding to another post from Tehran Bureau, which cited a source inside Iran detailing what was described as a rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground as security forces continued to crack down on demonstrations.
IRAN WILL RETALIATE ‘WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE’ IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS
“From trusted source in Tehran: Tell all of your friends [abroad] — everyone you know: there is absolutely nothing else we can do here inside Iran,” the post read.
“They are killing people in such ways, they’ve descended upon people so brutally, they’re attacking us in such ways… We’ve lost so many lives that no one dares go out anymore. They shoot directly with bullets. They kill outright. And even after killing, they come and behead you, and do countless other violent things to you,” it continued.
“Going out into the streets is literally suicide. It’s not about bravery anymore. It’s madness. You go out and they shoot you point-blank. They don’t even ask why you came. They just kill you,” the post continued. “There is absolutely no way for us to gather unless we had weapons, unless we were armed like them. Otherwise they have weapons everywhere.”
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, activist groups estimate that more than 6,000 people have been killed in Iran, with additional cases still under review.
The protests began in late December amid widespread anger over economic hardship, political repression and corruption, according to reports.
IRAN REGIME REPORTEDLY ISSUED NATIONWIDE SHOOT-TO-KILL ORDERS AS PROTEST DEATH TOLL SURGES
Cruz’s post came after armed militias aligned with Iran warned the U.S. they would retaliate against any American attack on the Islamic Republic, as the Trump administration moved forces into the region.
Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq said it was prepared for “total war” if the U.S. attacked Iran, according to The Associated Press.
Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the group’s leader, said the “enemies” of the Islamic Republic would face “the bitterest forms of death.”
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ACKNOWLEDGES THOUSANDS KILLED AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: REPORTS
“You will taste every form of deadly suffering, nothing of you will remain in our region, and we will strike terror in your hearts,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthis also threatened to restart attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, releasing a video Monday showing a ship engulfed in flames, captioned: “Soon,” The Associated Press reported.
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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, President Donald Trump said Iran appeared to be seeking negotiations with the U.S. amid the growing military buildup, telling Axios, “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East on Monday as unrest inside Iran continued to escalate.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Sen. Ted Cruz for comment.
US deports 3 former Iranian Guard members amid rising tensions with Tehran
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deported three Iranian nationals known or suspected of terrorism Sunday.
Homeland Security said the three nationals — Ehsan Khaledi, Mohammad Mehrani and Morteza Nasirikakolaki — were former members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
They were among 14 Iranians on board a deportation flight Sunday, the first to head back to Tehran, Iran, since sweeping anti-government protests triggered a deadly government crackdown.
Both Mehrani and Khaledi entered the U.S. illegally in Southern California in 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Nasirikakolaki entered illegally in November 2024, when he was encountered by Border Patrol near San Luis, Arizona, the agency said.
IRAN PROTESTS PROMPT NEW TRUMP WARNING OVER DEADLY GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWNS
The White House insisted that anyone deported had “Executable Final Orders, meaning a federal judge has ordered their removal from the United States.”
Since the start of the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 1,400 known or suspected terrorists, the Department of Homeland Security said, and 7,400 gang members.
The Iranian deportation flight drew attention due to reports of human rights abuses associated with the protests. Two unlawful migrants scheduled to be on the flight were gay men, and their lawyer, Bekah Wolf, had warned they stood “an extremely high chance” of being executed if they returned.
TOP IRAN PRAYER LEADER WHO DUBBED PROTESTERS ‘TRUMP’S SOLDIERS’ CALLS FOR EXECUTIONS AMID ONGOING UNREST
But the men were moved into quarantine due to measles exposure and were not on the flight.
Sunday’s deportation was the third flight returning Iranian nationals to their home country since September 2025. The previous two flights were believed to have at least 55 people on them.
The IRGC is Iran’s elite military force, separate from the country’s regular army and reporting directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. U.S. officials have designated the IRGC a foreign terrorist organization, citing its long history of involvement in terrorist activity, support for extremist proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas and plots against U.S. personnel and interests worldwide.
Through its Quds Force, the IRGC provides training, funding and weapons to militant groups and has been linked to assassination plots, attacks on U.S. forces and allies and other covert operations that Washington says threaten American national security and regional stability.
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Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have climbed sharply in recent weeks as President Donald Trump has publicly kept the option of military action on the table amid Iran’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, warning Tehran that the United States could respond if executions or mass killings continued.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that nearly 6,000 people have been killed since protests broke out at the start of 2026. Meanwhile, the U.S. is building up its U.S. naval and air force presence near Iran, including with the arrival of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to the region.
Iranian security forces gun down amateur boxer near Tehran: source
An Iranian amateur boxer has been shot and killed by Iranian security forces during ongoing anti-regime protests.
Sepehr Ebrahimi joined protests near Tehran and died amid ongoing demonstrations driven by anger over political repression, economic hardship, and human rights violations.
Ebrahimi’s death also renewed attention on the case of another Iranian boxer, Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, who is currently on death row.
Vafaei Sani, now 30, is a champion boxer who was arrested in 2020 for participating in nationwide pro-democracy protests.
Iranian authorities accused him of supporting the opposition group the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).
IRAN LOCKS NATION INTO ‘DARKER’ DIGITAL BLACKOUT, VIEWING INTERNET AS AN ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’
Meanwhile, harrowing footage has also been circulating online showing the distraught father of another youth, Sepehr Shekari who was also shot by security forces.
The video shows Shekari’s father desperately searching among piles of bodies covered with black body bags, crying out for his missing son.
“Sepehr was shot and killed in Tehran,” Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.
Video shared on social media, which was viewed by Fox News Digital, shows Shekari’s father calling out his son’s name as he searches a warehouse filled with unidentified bodies following a violent crackdown on demonstrators.
KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP A ‘CRIMINAL,’ BLAMES HIM FOR DEADLY PROTESTS SWEEPING IRAN
“My dear Sepehr, where are you?” the father can be heard crying. At one point, he shouts, “Damn Khamenei. They have killed the children of so many people. You killed so many young people!”
According to Safavi, Ebrahimi and Shekari were shot with live ammunition by Iran’s security forces during protests against the clerical regime that began Dec. 28.
Shekari’s family spent an agonizing week searching through morgues, hospitals and detention facilities before finally identifying his body among piles of corpses, also shown in the viral footage.
Maryam Rajavi, NCRI president-elect also shared a post on X dedicated to parents of those murdered by the regime. “You are not alone,” she wrote, “Every heart beats with you,” she added.
IRANIAN SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR REFUSING TO FIRE ON PROTESTERS DURING NATIONWIDE UNREST
Rights organizations also continue to highlight the plight of Vafaei Sani who has spent five years in prison, during which he has reportedly been tortured and held in prolonged solitary confinement.
In 2023, more than 100 human rights experts and international organizations sent a letter to U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, urging urgent intervention to stop Vafaei Sani’s execution.
His death sentence echoes the case of Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari, who was executed in September 2020.
The death of Ebrahimi and others comes as Iran’s protest-related death toll continues to rise.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 6,126 people have been killed since the start of the latest wave of protests.
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HRANA also reported that 214 government-affiliated forces and 49 civilians have also been killed, while more than 17,000 deaths remain under investigation.
Trump says Iran called ‘numerous’ times to make deal as carrier enters Middle East waters
President Donald Trump said Iran appears to be looking to negotiate with the U.S. amid a growing military buildup in the Middle East.
In a Monday interview with Axios, Trump suggested that Tehran had reached out on “numerous occasions” and “want[s] to make a deal.”
“They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk,” the president told the outlet.
According to U.S. officials, also cited by Axios, any potential agreement would need Tehran to remove all enriched uranium, cap its long-range missile stockpile, a change in support for regional proxy forces, and cease independent uranium enrichment, terms Iranian leaders have not agreed to.
ISRAELI UN AMBASSADOR SENDS STARK WARNING TO IRAN AMID GROWING UNREST
Trump also described the situation with Iran as “in flux,” and pointed to the arrival of what he called “a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela,” referencing the recent deployment of U.S. naval assets.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier entered CENTCOM waters in the Indian Ocean on Monday amid increasing threats from Iran, a senior U.S. official said.
Trump had told reporters Jan. 21, “We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going towards Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”
The U.S. military buildup comes amid widespread unrest inside Iran following protests that began Dec. 28.
SECRET SERVICE AWARE AFTER IRANIAN STATE TV AIRS TRUMP THREAT FEATURING PHOTO OF BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
According to a recent report from Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the confirmed death toll from the protests has reached 5,848, with an additional 17,091 deaths under investigation.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been sheltering in a fortified underground facility, according to Iran International.
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Trump is expected to hold further consultations this week, Axios said, before adding that White House officials said an attack is still on the table.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
GOP lawmakers split on US military intervention to fulfill Trump’s calls for regime change in Iran
Republicans are split on whether President Donald Trump should use military force in Iran to bring about the regime change he has called for.
While some Republicans would trust Trump to pull the trigger and stand ready to back him, others urged the administration to use force as a last resort.
Across the board, lawmakers said change is coming to Iran one way or the other. Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., believes that with American economic and diplomatic pressure, it’s only a matter of time.
“It’s going to happen,” Messmer said.
IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD COMMANDER SAYS REGIME HAS ‘FINGER ON THE TRIGGER’ AS US WARSHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST
“I think eventually the regime is not going to be able to keep a thumb on their people,” Messmer said.
The U.S. on Monday deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln to U.S. Central Command waters in the Indian Ocean, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke to Fox News on Monday. The move comes as Tehran’s government carried out a brutal crackdown in the country that left thousands dead earlier this month.
In its wake, Trump condemned the killing and called for regime change in Iran. Trump described a conversation with Iranian envoys, warning them about the consequences that would follow if they failed to stop the killings. “I said, ‘If you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit,'” Trump said.
Questions remain about whether the president may see some form of American intervention as a way to precipitate that change amid the ongoing unrest.
Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, trusts Trump’s decision-making process and believes that the U.S. would be acting consistently with its own interests to apply military power in toppling Iran’s current government.
“You know what, I trust President Trump, I trust our military,” Babin said.
“It is time for a regime change. There was a red line established by President Trump. He means what he says, and he says what he means in plain English,” Babin said, referring to warnings Trump made to Iran’s leadership about killing protesters.
“I would not want to be one of the ayatollah’s brutal henchmen mowing down and brutalizing, torturing their own people,” Babin said.
Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., agreed with Babin, framing his stance as a way the U.S. could eliminate terror threats well beyond just Iran.
“Iran is the center of terrorism. They’ll fund anyone who goes against Israel and who goes against the United States of America. So, if you don’t think I would be for strategically bombing the leadership of the dictatorship that runs Iran, you would be mistaken,” Meuser said.
LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR US TO USE ‘ANY MEANS NECESSARY’ TO STOP THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE KILLING OF IRANIANS
Other lawmakers urged more caution.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., believes force should come as a last resort.
“That should be the last option, but it needs to be taken as it comes right now. We need to actually understand the dynamics of why it would require military intervention,” Malliotakis said.
IRAN REGIME FACES ‘BEGINNING OF THE END’ AS EXILED CROWN PRINCE SEES ‘GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY’
Messmer believes that a change in leadership should come from the ground up.
“It really needs to come organically from the people of Iran. I mean, I think that, obviously, with the protests we’re seeing on the streets in Iran, there’s a high degree of interest. But at some point, they’ve got to take ownership and leadership,” Messmer said.
“Boots on the ground, you know, foreign intervention and costly overseas wars have been borne out to be pretty ineffective in the long run,” Messmer added.
Although lawmakers varied on their stances on military force, they all noted it wouldn’t be the first time Trump has ordered strikes on the country.
Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Ind., believes Trump has proved that’s an option he’s willing to use when it comes to Tehran.
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“The president has long said that Iran could never have access to a nuclear weapon. Look at the decisive leadership that the president took against Iran to ensure that their access to nuclear weapons would be denied,” Yakym said, referring to the June 2025 American strike on Iran’s Fordow base, a nuclear enrichment facility Trump destroyed.
“And certainly, as we go forward, we will stand with the people of Iran,” Yakym added.
Iran regime reportedly issued nationwide shoot-to-kill orders as protest death toll surges
More and more brutal evidence of the Iranian regime’s crackdown on its own people is circulating online, as the true number of those killed in Iran’s protests remains hotly contested amid internet blackouts and state intimidation. Estimates range from the thousands confirmed dead to the tens of thousands feared killed, according to activists, media reports and medical data.
Fatemeh Jamalpour, an Iranian journalist who has covered every major protest movement over the past two decades, said the latest crackdown represents a turning point in the regime’s use of force. “The regime’s level of violence has increased dramatically, and with the internet crackdown, it is difficult to know the true scale of the killing.”
“The new thing I have seen in these protests, something we have not seen before, is that starting on the night of January 8, the regime issued shoot-to-kill orders to the IRGC, the Basij and the riot police, authorizing direct fire,” Jamalpour told Fox News Digital.
INSIDE TRUMP’S IRAN WARNING — AND THE UNEXPECTED PAUSE THAT FOLLOWED
“In previous protests, military-grade weapons were used mainly in minority provinces such as Kurdistan and Baluchestan,” she added. “This time they were used across the entire country… Health Ministry officials told us they ran out-of-body bags for the dead.”
The most widely cited baseline comes from the Human Rights Activists News Agency, or HRANA, a U.S.-based group that tracks deaths by name and location.
As of January 25, HRANA reported 5,848 people confirmed killed. Of these, 5,520 were protesters, 77 were children under 18, 209 were government-affiliated forces and 42 were non-protesters or civilians. The number of deaths still under investigation stands at 17,091.
The group has emphasized that its confirmed tally reflects only cases that could be independently documented, and that its overall figures are expected to rise as information continues to emerge.
According to The Associated Press, Iranian authorities have offered only one official count, 3,117, and have not updated it publicly in the last five days. Authorities have not released names, locations, or documentation to support that figure.
Beyond human rights tallies, a separate medical working paper reviewed by Fox News Digital suggests the death toll may be far higher.
US AMBASSADOR WARNS IRAN AT EMERGENCY UN MEETING THAT TRUMP IS ‘MAN OF ACTION,’ ‘ALL OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE’
The report by Munich Med Group, authored by professor Dr. Amir-Mobarez Parasta, compiles hospital-registered fatalities from multiple Iranian cities and applies what the author describes as a conservative extrapolation model to account for underreporting during the communications blackout.
Using that methodology, the paper estimates a nationwide death toll of approximately 33,130 people as of January 23. The author stresses the figure is not a verified count, but a lower-bound estimate based on partial medical data and stated assumptions.
Iran International published its own investigation, claiming it reviewed documents indicating that more than 36,500 people were killed during two days of protests on January 8 and 9 alone. The outlet said the documents were provided by sources inside Iran, but the claims have not been independently verified.
KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP A ‘CRIMINAL,’ BLAMES HIM FOR DEADLY PROTESTS SWEEPING IRAN
The wide gap between confirmed counts and higher estimates reflects not only the scale of violence, but also the conditions under which it occurred.
According to Jamalpour, despite the internet shutdown, doctors and medical workers attempted to document what they were seeing using limited satellite connections.
“Many doctors and medical staff tried to send us their accounts and documentation through small Starlink connections,” she said. “Medical workers say protesters were often shot in the head and neck, with intent to kill. Many were killed by multiple bullets. Some were shot from behind while trying to flee.”
Jamalpour said the victims she documented reflected a generation the regime appeared determined to crush. “Among the dead are children and a 67-year-old man, but most are young people under 30,” she said.
TRUMP THREATENS IRAN WITH CRUSHING RESPONSE AS TEHRAN DENIES HALTING PROTEST EXECUTIONS
Jamalpour described the killing of Mehdi Khanmohammadi, a 67-year-old retired army colonel and pilot. “He was killed on Friday, January 9, in Saadat Abad by two bullets,” she said. “In a video, his daughter stands over his lifeless body and says, ‘Can you open your eyes and wake up?’”
She said scenes like that have left the country in collective mourning. “These days, Iranians are in shock,” Jamalpour said. “There is grief everywhere.”
At the same time, she warned that the crackdown is far from over. “Lawyers and human rights organizations are deeply concerned about more than 20,000 protesters who have been detained and are at risk of execution,” she said.
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Yet even amid the fear, Jamalpour said she hears something new inside Iran. “In my conversations from inside the country, I hear people’s hope for Trump’s help in freeing Iran,” she said. “And a determination to change the regime, now intertwined with anger and grief.”
USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier Strike Group makes move amid threat from Iran
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has entered CENTCOM waters in the Indian Ocean amid increasing threats from Iran, a senior U.S. official told Fox News on Monday.
Reports say Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has gone underground, suggesting the country may be preparing for military action. A leading U.S. drone expert told Fox on Sunday that Iran’s drone swarms would pose a credible and serious threat to the Lincoln and its strike group.
The top U.S. official said the Lincoln was not yet ready for any possible future strikes against Iran.
Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, told Fox that Iran has created “an effective asymmetric threat against highly sophisticated military systems” with its fleet of unmanned drones, pairing “low-cost warheads with inexpensive delivery platforms.”
IRAN’S LEADER THREATENS ‘EVEN BIGGER BLOW’ AGAINST US, TRUMP SAYS HE’S IN ‘NO RUSH’ TO TALK
Chell said Iran can launch large numbers of relatively unsophisticated drones directly at naval vessels, creating saturation attacks that could overwhelm traditional defenses.
“If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some are almost certain to get through,” Chell said.
“Modern defense systems were not originally designed to counter that kind of saturation attack. For U.S. surface vessels operating near Iran, warships are prime targets,” he added.
IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD COMMANDER SAYS REGIME HAS ‘FINGER ON THE TRIGGER’ AS US WARSHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST
U.S. officials say Washington is reinforcing its military posture in response to growing instability inside Iran, boosting its presence by air, land and sea, while closely monitoring developments in Syria.
A squadron of F-15 fighter jets has deployed to the region, and C-17 aircraft carrying heavy equipment have arrived.
Chell noted that U.S. and allied militaries are rapidly developing defenses but uncertainty over new capabilities on the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier groups for managing multiple Iranian drones flying in formation remains. He emphasized that Iran’s drone fleet is a concern.
“These drones give Iran a very credible way to threaten surface vessels,” he said. “U.S. assets in the region are large, slow-moving and easily identifiable on radar, which makes them targetable.”
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“Iran’s strength lies instead in these low-cost, high-volume drone systems — particularly one-way strike drones designed to fly into a target and detonate,” he said.
Iranian drone swarms pose ‘credible threat’ to USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, defense expert says
U.S. military assets headed to the Middle East could face a serious threat from Iranian drone swarms as reports emerge that Iran’s supreme leader has gone underground, according to a leading military drone expert.
Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, warned that Iran’s growing reliance on low-cost unmanned systems poses a credible danger to high-value U.S. naval assets, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group.
“Iran’s drone capabilities are worth well into the tens of millions of dollars,” Chell told Fox News Digital.
“By pairing low-cost warheads with inexpensive delivery platforms, essentially remotely piloted aircraft, Iran has developed an effective asymmetric threat against highly sophisticated military systems.”
TRUMP HAS THREE STRIKE OPTIONS THAT WOULD AID THE PROTESTERS AND DEVASTATE IRAN
Chell said Iran can launch large numbers of relatively unsophisticated drones directly at naval vessels, creating saturation attacks that could overwhelm traditional defenses.
“If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some are almost certain to get through,” Chell said.
“Modern defense systems were not originally designed to counter that kind of saturation attack. For U.S. surface vessels operating near Iran, warships are prime targets.”
The warning comes as a senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group had not yet crossed into U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility in the Indian Ocean.
“It is close, but technically not in CENTCOM yet,” the source said. This would indicate the carrier strike group is not yet in a position to strike Iran.
U.S. officials say Washington is reinforcing its military posture in response to growing instability inside Iran, boosting its presence by air, land and sea, while closely monitoring developments in Syria.
IRAN SHUTS DOWN AIRSPACE, FOREIGN OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST TRAVEL TO ISRAEL
A squadron of F-15 fighter jets has deployed to the region, and C-17 aircraft carrying heavy equipment have arrived.
Once the aircraft carrier strike group enters the CENTCOM area of operations, which should be soon, it will still take several days before the strike is fully on station.
Chell noted that U.S. and allied militaries are rapidly developing defenses but uncertainty over new capabilities on the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier groups for managing multiple Iranian drones flying in formation remains. He emphasized that Iran’s drone fleet is a concern.
“These drones give Iran a very credible way to threaten surface vessels,” he said. “U.S. assets in the region are large, slow-moving and easily identifiable on radar, which makes them targetable.”
“Iran’s strength lies instead in these low-cost, high-volume drone systems—particularly one-way strike drones designed to fly into a target and detonate.”
Chell explained that Iran gained an early advantage in what are known as Category One and Category Two drone systems—low-cost platforms that can be produced in large numbers and used effectively in asymmetric warfare.
IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD COMMANDER SAYS REGIME HAS ‘FINGER ON THE TRIGGER’ AS US WARSHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST
“Category Three systems are a completely different matter,” he said. “In that area, Iran is decades behind the United States.”
The U.S. military buildup coincides with widespread unrest inside Iran. Protests erupted Dec. 28 amid mounting public discontent.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the casualty figures had reached 5,459 as of Sunday, with 17,031 cases under investigation.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been reported to have moved into a fortified underground shelter in Tehran after senior officials assessed an increased risk of a potential U.S. strike, according to reports.
President Donald Trump also addressed the deployment on Jan. 21, telling reporters, “We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going towards Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”
Emory fires Iranian official’s daughter after campus protests over controversial hiring decision
The daughter of a senior Iranian official, who publicly criticized President Donald Trump and U.S. involvement in Iran’s protests, has been fired from her teaching post at a top U.S. college, according to reports.
The Emory Wheel, Emory University’s news outlet, reported the School of Medicine Dean announced in an email Jan. 24 that Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani was no longer a university employee.
Ardeshir-Larijani was an assistant professor in the department of hematology and medical oncology at Emory’s medical school.
“The announcement follows a Jan. 19 protest where Iranian-American demonstrators gathered outside Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute to oppose the employment of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani by the University,” the outlet said.
IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD COMMANDER SAYS REGIME HAS ‘FINGER ON THE TRIGGER’ AS US WARSHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST
Ardeshir-Larijani’s Emory faculty page and her Emory Healthcare pages were also no longer visible online.
The nonprofit Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA) claimed that Ardeshir-Larijani had lived and worked in the U.S. for several years.
The group also cited the professional profile on Emory Healthcare’s official website as showing a listing for a woman called Ardeshir-Larijani who is a U.S.-trained hematologist-oncologist and practicing in Atlanta.
IRAN IN SHUTDOWN AS PROTESTERS STORM GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, CROWDS CHANT ‘DEATH TO KHAMENEI’
The claims had first drawn attention amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran following the outbreak of protests and reports of deaths during an intense crackdown from Dec. 28.
Trump warned of potential U.S. action in response.
In a Jan. 2 Truth Social post, the president warned that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters” the U.S. “will come to their rescue,” saying “we are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Trump’s remarks prompted warnings from senior Iranian officials, who said any American interference would cross a “red line.”
Ali Larijani had posted on X that U.S. interference in Iran’s internal affairs would “[destabilize] the entire region” and “[destroy] American interests.”
IRAN CRACKDOWN RATTLES MIDDLE EAST AS ANALYSTS WEIGH US OPTIONS SHORT OF MILITARY INTERVENTION
“The American people must know that Trump is the one who started this adventure,” he wrote, “and they should pay attention to the safety of their soldiers.”
AAIRIA responded by urging U.S. authorities to review the immigration and visa status of Ardeshir-Larijani and her husband.
The group urged officials to determine whether continued residence in the U.S. aligns with U.S. law, national security considerations and principles of accountability and human rights, in a statement shared online.
IRANIAN PROTESTERS CLASH WITH SECURITY FORCES AS TEAR GAS FILLS TEHRAN STREETS AMID NATIONWIDE UNREST
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., also called on Emory to dismiss Ardeshir-Larijani and the state’s medical board to revoke her medical license.
Ardeshir-Larijani’s dismissal also arrived two weeks after sanctions had been placed on her father by the Treasury Department, who said that he “is responsible for coordinating the response to the protests on behalf of the Supreme Leader of Iran and has publicly called for Iranian security forces to use force to repress peaceful protesters,” and has publicly defended the regime’s actions.
Ali Larijani has portrayed the U.S. as a hostile power in the past.
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A 2018 report by The Washington Times highlighted what critics described as a double standard among Iranian officials whose relatives live or work in Western countries.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security for comment and Emory University for comment.