ANOTHER one of those statements that's true under all circumstances, like "This too shall pass" and "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Iranically Iran, Middle East’s Karen…
- Thread starter Ron in Regina
- Start date
Currently nobody seems to know anything for sure, the Interwebs blackout is still in effect, & Trump seems to be waffling and backing off further…& it’s just a great big mess.
(NewsNation) — The Pentagon is moving a carrier strike group from the South China Sea to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East, as tensions escalate between the Trump administration and Iran, NewsNation has learned.
Moving the carrier strike group — a naval formation centering around an aircraft carrier, with a variety of other vessels, including at least one attack submarine — is expected to take about a week, a source said. The USS Abraham Lincoln reportedly is the aircraft carrier that is on the move.
“We’ve been told that killing in Iran is stopping—it has stopped,” Trump said. “That has just gotten to me, some information, that the killing has stopped, that the executions have stopped—they are not going to have an execution, which a lot of people were talking about for the last couple of days. Today was going to be the day of execution.” He said that he hoped what officials had been told was true.
Trump Says Iran Has Stopped Killing Protesters — The Wall Street Journal
Comments come after U.S. evacuates some personnel from Qatar air base in a move described as a precaution
Trump says the violence in Iran is over.
he was threatened with assassination. not surprised he backed off.View attachment 32770
Currently nobody seems to know anything for sure, the Interwebs blackout is still in effect, & Trump seems to be waffling and backing off further…& it’s just a great big mess.
(YouTube & ‘Leave Iran urgently’: Tehran closes its airspace anticipating US attack)
(NewsNation) — The Pentagon is moving a carrier strike group from the South China Sea to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East, as tensions escalate between the Trump administration and Iran, NewsNation has learned.
Moving the carrier strike group — a naval formation centering around an aircraft carrier, with a variety of other vessels, including at least one attack submarine — is expected to take about a week, a source said. The USS Abraham Lincoln reportedly is the aircraft carrier that is on the move.
“We’ve been told that killing in Iran is stopping—it has stopped,” Trump said. “That has just gotten to me, some information, that the killing has stopped, that the executions have stopped—they are not going to have an execution, which a lot of people were talking about for the last couple of days. Today was going to be the day of execution.” He said that he hoped what officials had been told was true.
Trump Says Iran Has Stopped Killing Protesters — The Wall Street Journal
Comments come after U.S. evacuates some personnel from Qatar air base in a move described as a precautionapple.news
(YouTube & Iran's chief justice calls for swift punishment for protest detainees)
Trump says the violence in Iran is over.
Trump says Iran has told him ‘killing has stopped’ as he pulls back from strike threats — Guardian US
US president says he has been assured by Tehran ‘there’s no plan for executions’ of protesters
Iran postpones execution of Erfan Soltani as Trump warns 'strong action' if protesters are killed — National Post
Erfan Soltani was 'the first protester to be sentenced to death, but he won't be the last,' the U.S. State Department posted online
Turkey says it opposes military intervention in Iran, priority is avoiding destabilisation — Reuters
Turkey is opposed to any military intervention in Iran and its priority is to avoid destabilisation there, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, as Tehran continues its crackdown on protests.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group were spotted moving west away from the Indo-Pacific region, according to images from Copernicus, a satellite data company that monitors maritime traffic.
The movement of the carrier strike group — which includes fighter jets, guided missile destroyers and at least one attack submarine — is expected to take about a week, a source told NewsNation.
apple.news
“The truth is only President Trump knows what he’s going to do, and a very, very small team of advisors are read in to his thinking on that,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.
apple.news
No need for those pesky congress & senate, etc…
While Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in Iran, he also says he has received assurances that the authorities in Tehran will stop killing protesters and that there are no plans to execute hundreds (or 18,000) who have been arrested.
www.independent.co.uk
Speaking by phone to NBC News on Thursday, Trump said “we saved a lot of lives yesterday,” an apparent reference to his claim that the Iranian regime has stopped killing protesters and halted some planned executions, which he had previously warned ‘could’ trigger a U.S. military response.
www.nbcnews.com
Trump’s opening salvo against the Muslim Brotherhood was strictly on their branches in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, its birthplace. The U.A.E. is right about depriving the terrorist organization with the “resources that enable them to engage in, support, or justify acts of extremism, hatred and terrorism.” Argentina also declared on Thursday the Muslim Brotherhood branches in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan terrorist organizations.
That’s all fine and dandy, but the Trump administration omitted Qatar from the list.
Qatar has been accused of financing the Muslim Brotherhood and was a key financial backer of Hamas to the tune of $380 million a year and $1.8 billion since Hamas took over Gaza. The U.S. State Department has viewed Hamas as a chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood since its inception in 1988, but appears to be looking the other way (as does Canada) over Qatar’s financing of the terror organization.
Qatar’s financing of Hamas as part of the Muslim Brotherhood, makes Qatar complicit in the October 7 massacre of 1,200 people in southern Israel and the horrific war that took place in the Gaza Strip. For all the trouble it caused by financing Hamas, the Trump administration views Qatar as a protectorate.
apple.news
After Israel attacked Hamas’ leadership in Qatar, Trump issued an order that stated the U.S. “shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure of the state of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.”
The movement of the carrier strike group — which includes fighter jets, guided missile destroyers and at least one attack submarine — is expected to take about a week, a source told NewsNation.
Pentagon moving carrier strike group toward Middle East amid tensions with Iran — The Hill
The Pentagon on Thursday said it is moving a carrier strike group from the South China Sea toward the Middle East as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to rise.
Trump weighs options after holding off on Iran strikes — The Hill
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here.
While Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in Iran, he also says he has received assurances that the authorities in Tehran will stop killing protesters and that there are no plans to execute hundreds (or 18,000) who have been arrested.
Iran protests live: US deploys ‘nuclear warship’ to Middle East amid unrest in Tehran
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group have moved from the Indo-Pacific region
www.independent.co.uk
Trump says 'we saved a lot of lives' as Iran signals it won't execute protesters
Speaking by phone to NBC News, Trump didn't say whether he has decided to take action on Iran following previous threats of military intervention over a crackdown on protesters.
www.nbcnews.com
That’s all fine and dandy, but the Trump administration omitted Qatar from the list.
Qatar has been accused of financing the Muslim Brotherhood and was a key financial backer of Hamas to the tune of $380 million a year and $1.8 billion since Hamas took over Gaza. The U.S. State Department has viewed Hamas as a chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood since its inception in 1988, but appears to be looking the other way (as does Canada) over Qatar’s financing of the terror organization.
Qatar’s financing of Hamas as part of the Muslim Brotherhood, makes Qatar complicit in the October 7 massacre of 1,200 people in southern Israel and the horrific war that took place in the Gaza Strip. For all the trouble it caused by financing Hamas, the Trump administration views Qatar as a protectorate.
Avi Benlolo: Qatar bewitches the West, while funding the Muslim Brotherhood — National Post
The wind of change is upon us. The Islamic Revolution is over, either now or in the next few years. The walls are caving in on the Iranian terrorist regime and with it, the radical Muslim Brotherhood ideology that gives it life. It’s not without coincidence that the United Arab Emirates boldly...
If…if this is real, then it won’t be in the general vicinity of Taiwan. Just say’n…
In Tehran, Iranians reported relative calm on the streets as the sound of gunfire faded and fires were extinguished – a marked contrast from the weeks before when large crowds confronted security forces.
The slowdown of protests came just two days after Donald Trump urged Iranians to “keep protesting – take over your institutions”, promising “help is on its way”. Intelligence assessments had indicated that the US was preparing to strike Iran, a move Trump had threatened if Iran’s government killed protesters.
Iran protests appear to slow under weight of brutal crackdown — Guardian US
At least 2,637 people have been killed in the unrest, with Iranian authorities saying they have ‘no plan’ to execute protesters
Tehran, Iran – Iranian officials continue to promise harsh punishments for “rioters” arrested during recent nationwide protests as they trade barbs with United States President Donald Trump amid an ongoing digital blackout.
“Our main work at the judiciary about the recent developments has just started,” judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei wrote in a post on X on Monday.
(Hmmm…& here Freeland already has a job in the Ukraine, when this sounds Taylor made for her)
“If, without justification, we grant leniency to someone who is not deserving of leniency, then we have acted contrary to justice,” he said.
His comments came as the internet remains fully blocked for most people across Iran despite a very brief period of partial reconnection on Sunday. Ejei also had a meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament chief Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, where the three leaders promised punishments.“We’ve been told that killing in Iran is stopping—it has stopped,” Trump said. “That has just gotten to me, some information, that the killing has stopped, that the executions have stopped—they are not going to have an execution, which a lot of people were talking about for the last couple of days. Today was going to be the day of execution.” He said that he hoped what officials had been told was true.
Tens of thousands are believed to have been arrested since the protests were triggered by shopkeepers in downtown Tehran on December 28, and state authorities continue to announce new arrests almost every day.
Trump earlier this week encouraged Iranian protesters to continue pressuring the regime and vowed that “help is on the way,” signaling potential U.S. intervention. But Tehran has pushed back with its own threats.
On Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made an unusual admission that “several thousands” were killed during the protests, but the theocratic establishment maintains that agents affiliated with foreign powers, and not with state forces, were directly responsible.
Iran ‘just getting started’ on punishing ‘rioters’ arrested during protests
Authorities are confiscating assets of people backing protesters to pay for damages incurred during the unrest.
Ahmadreza Radan, the country’s hardline chief of police, told state television on Monday that protesters who were “tricked” have three days to turn themselves in so they can receive reduced sentences.
“We have made a promise to the people to chase down the rioters and terrorists until the last person,” he said, adding that many of those arrested have already made “confessions about committing violence, murder and looting”.
Iranian authorities have also emphasised that they intend to make up for some of the financial losses incurred during the protests by confiscating the belongings of those who publicly backed the protests or participated in them.
“Based on the law, the damages of recent riots must be demanded from the backers of the ‘monarchy sedition’ and these people must be held to account,” said Mohammad Movahedi Azad, the hardline cleric who heads the prosecutor general’s authority…so they’ve got that going for them I guess.
Iran protest crackdown latest developments
Iran has been pressing ahead with arrests following a wave of protests, according to local media and monitors, as the country faces international pressure over a crackdown rights groups said led to thousands…
www.france24.com
2025–2026 Iranian protests - Wikipedia
- Carrier in Transit: The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) was spotted moving west through the Strait of Malacca/Indian Ocean area.
- Destination: The strike group is headed to the CENTCOM region, with potential arrival in the Arabian Sea area estimated around January 25, 2026.
- Context: This move is in response to rising tensions, including reports of a violent crackdown on protesters in Iran.
- Other Assets: Reports also indicate a potential, though not fully confirmed, movement of additional U.S. Air Force assets, such as F-15E fighters, into the region.
Below is from two days ago in Iran from SkyNews from Australia:
(YouTube & Iranian state armed militias fire heavy weapons as protests continue to erupt in Tehran)
Then this is within the last day from Germany’s international broadcaster:
(YouTube & Iran protest crackdown: 5,000+ reported dead as US 'armada' moves in | DW News)
“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump told reporters Thursday, saying they were going “just in case.”
www.ctvnews.ca
Then this is within the last day from Germany’s international broadcaster:
“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump told reporters Thursday, saying they were going “just in case.”
A look at the U.S. military assets heading to the Middle East
The Pentagon has been sending U.S. military assets into the Middle East this week, including an aircraft carrier group and its thousands of troops, as President Donald Trump indicates he is maintaining the possibility of strikes on Iran amid its crackdown on protests.
With a battle underway at the top of the regime about the political risks of continuing to block Iran from the internet, Yousef Pezeshkian, whose father, Masoud, was elected in the summer of 2024, said keeping the digital shutdown would create dissatisfaction and widen the gap between the people and the government.
en.wikipedia.org
“This means those who were not and are not dissatisfied will be added to the list of the dissatisfied,” he wrote in a Telegram post. The release of videos showing the violence of the protests is “something we will have to face sooner or later”, Yousef Pezeshkian added. “Shutting down the internet will not solve anything, we will just postpone the issue.”
The sporadic lifting of restrictions is leading to a slow and painful inquest into how many protesters, including children have died. Authorities launched a violent crackdown on protesters under cover of the internet blackout, with rights groups documenting several thousand dead. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights says the final figure could be as high as 25,000. Thousands more are still being detained.
apple.news
apple.news
The officials said the scale of killing overwhelmed the capacity to handle the dead, exhausting body bag stocks, and prompting the use of eighteen-wheeled trailers to move bodies. TIME reported that security forces used rooftop snipers and trucks mounted with heavy machine guns after authorities cut communications.
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official warned on state television that anyone entering the streets should not complain if a bullet hit them, according to the report…sorta like “Don’t complain if you step in front of a pepperball” etc…
2026 Internet blackout in Iran - Wikipedia
The sporadic lifting of restrictions is leading to a slow and painful inquest into how many protesters, including children have died. Authorities launched a violent crackdown on protesters under cover of the internet blackout, with rights groups documenting several thousand dead. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights says the final figure could be as high as 25,000. Thousands more are still being detained.
Iran may have slaughtered 30,000 protesters in 48-hour intense crackdown - report — The Jerusalem Post
If the estimates are true, the only comparable massacre in history databases would be the murder of 33,000 Jews in the Babyn Yar massacre during the Holocaust outside of Kyiv in 1941.
Iran president’s son urges authorities to restore internet after protest blackout — Guardian US
Yousef Pezeshkian says nothing will be solved by trying to postpone moment pictures of violent crackdown on protests circulate
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official warned on state television that anyone entering the streets should not complain if a bullet hit them, according to the report…sorta like “Don’t complain if you step in front of a pepperball” etc…
The dead include pro and anti factions fighting moreso than random people.With a battle underway at the top of the regime about the political risks of continuing to block Iran from the internet, Yousef Pezeshkian, whose father, Masoud, was elected in the summer of 2024, said keeping the digital shutdown would create dissatisfaction and widen the gap between the people and the government.
“This means those who were not and are not dissatisfied will be added to the list of the dissatisfied,” he wrote in a Telegram post. The release of videos showing the violence of the protests is “something we will have to face sooner or later”, Yousef Pezeshkian added. “Shutting down the internet will not solve anything, we will just postpone the issue.”2026 Internet blackout in Iran - Wikipedia
View attachment 32962
The sporadic lifting of restrictions is leading to a slow and painful inquest into how many protesters, including children have died. Authorities launched a violent crackdown on protesters under cover of the internet blackout, with rights groups documenting several thousand dead. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights says the final figure could be as high as 25,000. Thousands more are still being detained.
Iran may have slaughtered 30,000 protesters in 48-hour intense crackdown - report — The Jerusalem Post
If the estimates are true, the only comparable massacre in history databases would be the murder of 33,000 Jews in the Babyn Yar massacre during the Holocaust outside of Kyiv in 1941.The officials said the scale of killing overwhelmed the capacity to handle the dead, exhausting body bag stocks, and prompting the use of eighteen-wheeled trailers to move bodies. TIME reported that security forces used rooftop snipers and trucks mounted with heavy machine guns after authorities cut communications.Iran president’s son urges authorities to restore internet after protest blackout — Guardian US
Yousef Pezeshkian says nothing will be solved by trying to postpone moment pictures of violent crackdown on protests circulate
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official warned on state television that anyone entering the streets should not complain if a bullet hit them, according to the report…sorta like “Don’t complain if you step in front of a pepperball” etc…
Iranian forces massacred protesters fleeing burning market, witnesses say — The Washington Post
A rare detailed account of Iran’s crackdown, produced by The Post, reveals the brutality used by security forces in one of many such cities rocked by violence.
US military action in Iran could spur backlash, unite Iranians: US ambassador — CNBC
William Taylor, former US ambassador to Ukraine & former Middle East Transitions coordinator at the State Department, talks about the possible consequences of a US military strike on Iran.
Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah warns of 'total war' if Iran is attacked — Al Jazeera
Abu Hussein al‑Hamidawi, leader of Iraqi armed group, says war against Iran will not be a 'walk in the park'.
Yemen rebels threaten new Red Sea attack as US aircraft carrier heads toward Iran — The Independent
Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have threatened new attacks on ships in the Red Sea corridor
US Secretary of State Rubio speaks to Iraqi PM amid tensions with Iran — Al Jazeera
Marco Rubio's call with Mohammed Shia al-Sudani comes as new government expected in Iraq, US-Iran tensions rise.
Iranian authorities unveil new billboard in Tehran warning US against taking military action — Euronews
The latest development comes days after US President Donald Trump said ships are being moved towards the region 'just in case' he decides to take action. In return, Iranian authorities warned its force is 'more ready than ever, finger on the trigger'.
US military moves Navy, Air Force assets to the Middle East: What to know — Al Jazeera
Trump says US 'armada' is heading towards the Gulf, raising fears of a military escalation in the region.
A U.N. expert on Iran said on Monday she had received reports of protesters linked to nationwide demonstrations being removed from hospitals and detained by Iranian security forces - a major violation of the right to medical care under international law.
apple.news
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran, Mai Sato, also told Reuters in an interview via video link that families were facing demands for ransoms of $5,000 to $7,000 to retrieve the bodies of loved ones, a crushing burden amid Iran's mounting economic woes…& sorta has a Hamas-like aroma to it…or maybe the hallmark of those that helped train Hamas?
The image above shows a bird’s-eye view of an aircraft carrier with destroyed fighter jets on the deck and blood running in the water to form the US flag. “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind,” read an accompanying message in Farsi and English. The percentage of the Iranian population with English as a first language is negligible, likely far less than 1%, as the vast majority of the population speaks Persian (Farsi) or other Iranian languages as their mother tongue, etc…
Anyway, "Dozens of patients were in our hospital with gunshot wounds. They had undergone surgery, and then the Revolutionary Guards came and took them all away. We don’t know what happened to them," said one doctor in the northern city of Rasht.
apple.news
apple.news
Ok…guess that explains why the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group arrived in the neighbourhood then. 
Iranian authorities continue to warn of serious ramifications in case of military strikes by the United States, as more people are being arrested in connection with deadly protests amid a lingering internet blackout.
apple.news
New Iran videos show bodies piled in hospital and snipers on roofs — BBC News
Footage from a hospital in Tehran shows at least 31 bodies piled inside and seven body bags outside.
The image above shows a bird’s-eye view of an aircraft carrier with destroyed fighter jets on the deck and blood running in the water to form the US flag. “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind,” read an accompanying message in Farsi and English. The percentage of the Iranian population with English as a first language is negligible, likely far less than 1%, as the vast majority of the population speaks Persian (Farsi) or other Iranian languages as their mother tongue, etc…
Anyway, "Dozens of patients were in our hospital with gunshot wounds. They had undergone surgery, and then the Revolutionary Guards came and took them all away. We don’t know what happened to them," said one doctor in the northern city of Rasht.
Iran detaining protesters being treated in hospitals as part of crackdown, says UN expert — Reuters
A U.N. expert on Iran said on Monday she had received reports of protesters linked to nationwide demonstrations being removed from hospitals and detained by Iranian security forces - a major violation of the right to medical care under international law.
Aircraft carrier reaches Middle East, bolstering Iran options for Trump — The Washington Post
The U.S. military buildup near Iran continues, with the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, as the White House contemplates another strike.
Iranian authorities continue to warn of serious ramifications in case of military strikes by the United States, as more people are being arrested in connection with deadly protests amid a lingering internet blackout.As US 'armada' approaches, Iran warns of dire consequences if attacked — Al Jazeera
Iranian authorities are keeping the population offline for a third week amid lingering threats of another war.