Iran’s president warned on Sunday that any U.S. strike on the country would trigger a “harsh response” from Tehran, as nationwide unrest continues and tensions with Washington remain high.
The warning came after an Iranian official in the region said at least 5,000 people, including around 500 security personnel, had been killed in protests that erupted across the country late last month.
Against this backdrop, Iran’s state broadcaster was briefly hijacked on Sunday (18 January), airing footage of anti-government protests and a message from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, according to opposition-linked outlets.
The takeover reportedly lasted about 10 minutes and appeared across multiple channels carried on the Badr satellite, Iran International and other opposition sources reported.Tehran has not provided a public explanation, and independent verification is limited amid strict media controls.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) is a core tool for state messaging, and the intrusion demonstrates operational reach while street unrest continues across the country.
Separately, Iranian media reported further violence linked to the unrest, saying the Palestinian Authority ambassador to Tehran, Salam al-Zawawi, was injured when around 200 rioters stormed her residence, damaging property and setting parts of the compound on fire.
Attackers forced their way into the embassy compound while chanting slogans and throwing Molotov cocktails, leaving the ambassador and several staff members suffering from smoke inhalation and other injuries. They were taken to a hospital for treatment.
The ambassador, his family, and embassy staff reportedly hid in the basement until Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (Faraja) arrived and evacuated them to safety. Authorities then confronted and dispersed the attackers according to reports.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday (18 January) that any attack on Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would trigger “an all‑out war” against Iran, according to a message posted on social media platform X.
Pezeshkian also said Iranians faced economic hardship because of what he described as “inhumane” sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies.
Nationwide protests erupted in Iran on 28 December over economic hardship and swelled over two weeks into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule - resulting in the deadliest unrest since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
At least 5,000 people have been killed in the protests, including about 500 security personnel, an Iranian official in the region said on Sunday, citing verified figures and accusing "terrorists and armed rioters" of killing "innocent Iranians".
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if protesters continued to be killed on the streets or were executed. In a social media post on Friday (16 January), he thanked Tehran's leaders, saying they had called off scheduled executions of 800 people.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is ready to pursue diplomacy with Iran as nuclear talks resume in Geneva, using a visit to Budapest on Monday (16 January) to reaffirm both U.S. negotiating aims and strong ties with Hungary ahead of its April election.
Geneva is set to host two sets of negotiations on Tuesday, with U.S. officials meeting Iranian representatives in the morning and a trilateral session on Ukraine scheduled for the afternoon. The talks aim to advance a resolution of Iran’s nuclear programme and a U.S.-brokered peace plan for Ukraine.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said the United States could evaluate its own interests separately from those of Israel in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
United States is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long military operations against Iran, two U.S. officials told Reuters as the images of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group sailing and flying in formation were released on Sunday.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said China has the power to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that Beijing is enabling Moscow’s military campaign.
Austria’s Janine Flock won the gold medal in the women’s skeleton event at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Saturday.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said the United States could evaluate its own interests separately from those of Israel in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (15 February) called it “troubling” a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a toxin from poison dart frogs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia’s decision to change the leadership of its delegation for upcoming peace talks in Geneva appeared to be an attempt to delay progress.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has moved swiftly to consolidate his authority following the dismissal of his long-time ally Kamchybek Tashiev, head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS).
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Monday ahead of a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States, according to Iranian state media.
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Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said the United States could evaluate its own interests separately from those of Israel in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Four people were killed on Sunday evening in an Israeli drone strike targeting a vehicle in eastern Lebanon near the Lebanese-Syrian border, Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported.
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