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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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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