Activists say at least 6,159 people have been killed in Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests and many more are still feared dead. The new figures on Tuesday came from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran. The Iranian government has put the death toll at a far lower 3,117 — including 2,427 civilians and security forces, and the rest labelled "terrorists." Meanwhile, Iran's currency, the rial, has fallen to a record low of 1.5 million to $1. The protests in Iran began on Dec. 28, sparked by rial's downward spiral, and quickly spread across the country only to be met by a violent crackdown by Iran's theocracy.
Two Iranian-backed militias in the Middle East are signaling their readiness to launch new attacks. The move seems to support Iran, which is concerned as a U.S. aircraft carrier has reached the region. On Monday, Yemen's Houthi rebels hinted at resuming attacks on Red Sea shipping. Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah also issued a threat on Sunday, warning of "total war" if Iran is targeted. The threats come as the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the region amidst Trump's threats to attack. The UAE announced it would not allow its territory to be used for military action against Iran, emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy.
By JON GAMBRELL and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press
A Iran returns to an uneasy calm after protests led to a violent crackdown, a senior cleric is calling for the death penalty for detained demonstrators. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami's sermon Friday also threatened U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Trump struck a conciliatory tone, thanking Iran's leaders for not executing hundreds of protesters so far, signaling he may be backing away from military action. Executions and the killing of peaceful protesters are two of the red lines laid down by Trump for possible action against Iran. The protests began over economic issues, and have challenged Iran's theocracy. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports a death toll of 2,797.
Qatar hosted a summit of Arab and Islamic nations in hopes of presenting a united response to Israel's attack on Hamas leaders last week in Doha. But leaders offered different views Monday about what to do, and the group agreed to take only minimal action. Israel has retaliated against Hamas and other militants in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and now Qatar. Before the summit, analysts floated possibly closing airspace to Israeli flights or downgrading ties with Israel. A final statement from the meeting only called on states to take measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against Palestinians.
By JON GAMBRELL and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East this week as scheduled won't include a trip to Israel to discuss the war in Gaza or talks with Iran about its nuclear program. Instead, Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, three energy-rich monarchies home to existing or planned Trump-branded real estate projects. These are places where he aims to leverage American economic interests to do what he personally revels in: making business deals. But Trump won't be able to avoid altogether diplomacy on Gaza or Iran. The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions.
Iran's foreign minister says he'll meet with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman for the first negotiations under the Trump administration seeking to halt Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Abbas Araghchi spoke to Iranian state television Tuesday from Algeria. He maintained the talks would be indirect, likely with Omani mediators shuttling between the parties. U.S. President Donald Trump, in announcing the negotiations, described them as direct talks. Years of indirect talks under the Biden administration failed to reach any success. Tehran now enriches uranium up to 60% purity. That's a technical step away from weapons-grade levels.
By AAMER MADHANI, COLLEEN LONG and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press
As President Joe Biden prepares to leave office next week, he's insistent that his one-term presidency has made strides in restoring American credibility on the world stage and has proved that the U.S. remains an indispensable partner around the globe. That's the message he delivered Monday in a capstone address at the State Department to reflect on his foreign policy legacy. Yet, Biden's case for his achievements will be shadowed and shaped, at least in the near term, by the messy counterfactual that American voters are returning the country's stewardship to Donald Trump and his protectionist worldview.
By AAMER MADHANI and DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press
White House national security spokesman John Kirby says President Joe Biden is "deeply concerned" about the unauthorized release of classified documents on Israel's preparation for a potential retaliatory attack on Iran. Kirby said Monday that the administration still isn't certain if the classified information was leaked or hacked. Kirby says administration officials "don't have any indication at this point that there's an expectation that there'll be additional documents like this finding their way into the public domain." He added that the Pentagon is investigating. The investigation may take some time as authorities look for digital or physical clues that could reveal how the information got out.
