Overview
- Iran’s army chief Amir Hatami said Tehran regards remarks by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the unrest as a threat and warned they would not go unanswered.
- Trump cautioned that the United States could deliver a strong strike if Iranian authorities start killing protesters, Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused Washington and Israel of incitement, and Senator Lindsey Graham threatened Ali Khamenei in a TV interview.
- Protests over economic hardship have widened nationwide with disputed tallies, including reports of more than 36 dead and roughly 1,200 arrests, alongside lower death counts from rights groups and official media.
- In Aleppo, Syrian forces shelled the Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah districts after evacuation deadlines, driving thousands to flee and causing several deaths before a reported cautious calm.
- Turkey said it is ready to assist Syria’s army against Kurdish fighters if Damascus requests help, Israel condemned the attacks on Kurds as grave and dangerous, and U.S. mediation was reported to be under way to contain the violence.