A senior Iranian official says at least 5,000 people have died in the protests rocking the country. Among those killed are said to be some 500 members of the security forces.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 17th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, has called for support for protesters seeking to overthrow Iran’s government. Speaking at a press conference in Washington on 16 January, Pahlavi outlined plans to return to Iran and called for action against the country’s Revolutionary Guards.
Protests that erupted across Iran in recent weeks have largely subsided following a sweeping security crackdown that residents and human rights groups say killed thousands of people.
The United States stands by the “brave people of Iran,” and President Donald Trump "has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday.
The White House said Thursday that Iranian authorities have stopped 800 executions that were scheduled amid ongoing protests, as the U.S. continues to monitor events in Tehran closely.
U.S. President Donald Trump has questioned whether Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, would be able to command enough support inside Iran to lead the country if its clerical leadership were to fall.
U.S. citizens in Iran have been advised to leave the country as soon as possible, amid growing instability in the region and concerns that travel routes could close with little warning.
Russia has said it is ready to act as a mediator between Iran and the United States as tensions escalate over protests in Iran and warnings of possible military action.
The foreign ministers of Iran and India have held high-level talks by telephone, discussing bilateral ties as well as a range of regional and international issues, against the backdrop of continuing tensions in the Middle East.
Iran reopened its airspace late on Wednesday after a near five-hour closure that disrupted airline traffic, amid heightened concerns over possible military escalation involving the United States.
The U.S. and UK are reducing personnel at Qatar’s Al-Udeid air base as President Donald Trump weighs possible action against Iran over its violent crackdown on protesters.
Iran’s temporary shutdown of its airspace prompted flight diversions and fresh safety warnings on Wednesday as regional tensions disrupted airline operations across the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has been informed the killing of anti-government protesters in Iran has stopped and that planned executions would not go ahead, though details remain unclear.
As tensions between Iran and the U.S. persist, authorities in Tehran are facing another problem—this time at home.
France is considering the possibility of supplying Eutelsat satellite terminals to Iran to help citizens regain internet access after Iranian authorities imposed widespread online blackouts in an attempt to suppress the most severe domestic unrest the country has seen in decades.
Iran’s chief justice Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei has urged rapid trials for detainees accused of violent acts, warning that delays reduce the impact of judicial action.
Israel and Arab States have urged the U.S. to delay any potential military action against Iran, warning that such a move could undermine ongoing protests inside the country, according to NBC News.
Iran’s nationwide anti-government protests have killed at least 2,571 people, according to updated figures from a U.S.-based rights group, as unrest continues to pose one of the most serious challenges to the country’s clerical leadership in years.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff privately met with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah over the weekend, to discuss the protests that have been sweeping the country for more than two weeks, according to a senior U.S. official cited by news agency Axios.
Türkiye has warned that foreign military intervention in next-door Iran could further destabilise the region amid fears that the United States may be gearing up to strike the Islamic republic.
The U.S. has issued an urgent security notice calling all American citizens to leave Iran immediately, citing escalating protests, growing violence and widespread communication shutdowns across the country.
Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has condemned what he described as another attempt by external forces to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs during a phone call with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
The European Parliament has announced a ban on Iranian diplomats following the government’s response to nationwide protests in Iran. President Roberta Metsola confirmed the measure in a post on X on Monday, 12 January.
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