Overview
- Security forces in Iran are escalating lethal repression under a communications blackout, with mass arrests reported and rights groups warning of imminent executions of detained protesters.
- Reported death tolls diverge sharply and cannot be verified, ranging from more than 2,500 cited by activists to 12,000 reported by exiled broadcaster Iran International.
- President Trump urges Iranians to keep protesting and says help is coming, reiterates threats against Tehran and announces 25% tariffs on Iran’s trading partners, while regional rivals privately counsel Washington to hold off on military strikes.
- In Berlin, unknown attackers set high‑voltage lines ablaze on Jan. 3, causing the capital’s longest postwar blackout; police deem a left‑wing claim of responsibility authentic as the investigation continues.
- German leaders call for more intelligence personnel, expanded digital powers and tougher critical‑infrastructure protections, the Bundestag trades blame over the blackout response, and Iranian diaspora groups in Germany press Berlin to demand restored internet access and halt deportations.