2026/01/29Meta Platforms Posts Strong Q4 2025, Beats EPS and Revenue Estimates
Meta Platforms (META) reported EPS of $8.88 , beating expectations of $8.19 , while revenue came in at $59.89B versus $58.35B forecast. The beat across both earnings and the top line signals a stronger quarter than consensus anticipated, pointing to resilient ad demand and solid execution that lifted profitability above market assumptions. Meta’s market capitalization stands at $1.69T , reinforcing its mega-cap status as investors focus on the durability of advertising momentum, engagement trends, and the pace of AI-driven investment into 2026.
2026/01/29Iran Athlete Detained After Refusing to Hand Over CCTV Footage
Reports say Omid Janami , a 27-year-old bodybuilding athlete in Zarrinshahr, Isfahan , was arrested after refusing to provide security forces with his shop’s CCTV recordings following the large public mobilizations on 18–19 Dey . According to the account, agents demanded the footage in the aftermath of the protests, and Janami was detained for non-cooperation and is now facing serious charges , highlighting continued pressure on civilians and business owners over surveillance material tied to the unrest.
2026/01/2917 Activists: Iran Protest Killings Are “State-Organized Crimes Against Humanity”
Seventeen political and civil activists—along with political prisoners—signed a statement describing the widespread killing of Iranian protesters as a “state-organized crime against humanity.” The signatories said the violence against “desperate, rights-seeking and brave” Iranians reflects systematic state action rather than isolated incidents, and framed the crackdown as a decisive moral and legal line that political forces and civil society must confront.
2026/01/29Mousavi Urges Security Forces to Lay Down Arms
Mir-Hossein Mousavi, a leading figure of Iran’s Green Movement, issued a statement on the “Iranian National Revolution” and the violent crackdown on protesters, calling the killings a “dark page” in Iran’s history. Pointing to the role of military and security forces, he argued a repeat of past bloodshed is no longer sustainable and urged them to stop violence and put their weapons down so people can shape the country’s path toward freedom and reconstruction. Mousavi also stressed his opposition to any foreign military intervention, warning that internal repression and shutting down dialogue increase the risk of outside involvement, but said Iran can only be saved by its own people without relying on foreign powers. As a political exit plan, he proposed a constitutional referendum and the formation of a broad national front spanning all tendencies, built on three principles: “no foreign intervention,” “rejection of internal authoritarianism,” and a “peaceful democratic transition.”
2026/01/29Iran Navy Chief: “Around 100” Ships at Sea, Full Presence Push
Iranian Navy commander Shahram Irani said there are currently around 100 Iranian ships at sea , adding that Iran’s conditions today are far better than in the 1980s during the Iran–Iraq war. “We are doing everything possible to ensure a full presence at sea,” he said, framing the posture as a sustained effort to expand and maintain continuous naval deployment.
2026/01/29Hormuz Warning: IRGC Navy Hints at Strait Closure if War Erupts
Iranian media cited remarks from a deputy commander of the IRGC Navy suggesting Tehran could move to close the Strait of Hormuz in the event of war, claiming Iran has “complete control” over the surface, underwater domain, and airspace in the area. In that context, Fars News argued Iran could “very easily” block the passage and trigger a shock to the global economy. The threat is market-sensitive because the Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy chokepoint: U.S. EIA data put 2024 flows at roughly ~20 million barrels per day (about ~20% of global petroleum liquids consumption) and note it accounts for more than one-quarter of global seaborne traded oil , with major Gulf exporters dependent on the route.
2026/01/29UN Rapporteur: Death Penalty Is a Tool of Fear—Execution “Imminent” in Ozdemir Case
Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said the death sentence of Hatam Ozdemir , a Kurdish Turkish citizen, is now close to being carried out after a third request for retrial was rejected . She said Ozdemir has been on death row since 2022 on a baghi charge (armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic), and noted that although Iran’s Supreme Court had previously overturned the sentence due to insufficient evidence—including no proof of participation or intent to participate in armed activity—a lower court, on review, reissued the death penalty based on what she described as new but contradictory testimony . Sato added that her mandate is closely monitoring reports of potential use of the death penalty against protesters, stressing that executions are among the state’s tools to instill fear .
2026/01/29Spain Signals Support for EU IRGC Terror Listing Ahead of Brussels Talks
Diplomatic sources cited in Spanish reporting say Madrid is ready to back a new EU package of measures against Iran after weeks of violent protest repression, including support for adding the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the EU’s terrorist list—an issue due to be discussed by EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday, January 29, 2026 . The same process is expected to advance additional targeted sanctions —typically travel bans and asset freezes—against officials and entities linked to the crackdown, even as the final outcome on a formal terror designation remains politically and legally sensitive inside the bloc.
2026/01/29Rubio: Iran Death Toll “Definitely in the Thousands”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate hearing that the number of people killed in Iran’s recent protests is “definitely in the thousands,” describing the Islamic Republic’s response as a horrific, targeted crackdown—arguing some regimes have “learned” that firing directly at civilians can be “effective.” He said the government is weaker than at any other time and, unlike past unrest, now faces a fundamental crisis it cannot solve: an economy collapsing under its own policies, including diverting national resources into weapons programs and support for armed groups he labeled “terrorist,” which he said helped drive sweeping international sanctions and deepen Iran’s isolation. Rubio added that Iranians’ core demand is for the state to abandon this path, address citizens’ needs, and create conditions where sanctions could be lifted—but he argued the regime shows no willingness to change or relinquish power, warning that even if protests temporarily subside, unresolved root problems make renewed flare-ups likely.
2026/01/29Prince Pahlavi to Jerusalem Post: Global Action Against IRGC “Can Help End the Regime”
In an interview with the Jerusalem Post , Prince Reza Pahlavi said Iran’s future will be decided only by Iranians, but urged the international community to stand with them, arguing the latest protests show the Islamic Republic is at its most fragile while Iranians are at their most united. Citing the 18–19 Dey calls, he said millions took to the streets nationwide and framed the movement as more than a domestic uprising—one with direct consequences for global security and strategic interests—claiming Iranians are fighting not only for their own freedom but to free the world from a “criminal regime.” Referring to figures he attributed to human-rights groups, he said the crackdown has left at least 43,000 killed , over 330,000 injured , and more than 30,000 detained , adding that protesters’ core demand is civilian protection and the weakening of the regime’s repressive capacity; he argued targeted measures against the IRGC’s leadership, command, and infrastructure could bring the system to an end. He said this movement differs from past protests because it advances a clear national demand to end the Islamic Republic and transition to democracy with a defined alternative, and said he is ready to return to Iran—even before a collapse—not to seek power, but to help ensure an orderly transition, protect Iran’s territorial integrity, and deliver free elections.
2026/01/29Prince Reza Pahlavi: A “Free Iran” Would Be Europe’s Stability Dividend
Prince Reza Pahlavi said he met with the European Parliament’s Defense and Security Committee chair to discuss developments in Iran and the “Iranian National Revolution,” calling the official’s support for the Iranian people—and recognition of the Islamic Republic’s destructive role— “highly valuable.” He argued that a fundamentally changed, free Iran would strengthen regional stability and reduce the large migration waves driven by proxy wars, potentially enabling refugees to return home. He added that a free Iran could become a genuine commercial partner for Europe instead of engaging in hostage-taking of European citizens or plotting terrorist acts on European soil and could shift from supplying drones and weapons for conflicts to promoting peace, stability, and legitimate economic and technological cooperation. Prince Reza Pahlavi said that if Europe moves beyond statements and urgently implements the six announced policies supporting Iranians in practice, a transition away from the Islamic Republic and the emergence of a democratic Iran would be within reach.
2026/01/28UWW Medic Chief Calls for Wrestler’s Release
Babak Shadgan, the Iranian head of the United World Wrestling (UWW) Medical Commission, urged UWW members to act for the release of Iranian Greco-Roman Olympian Alireza Nejati after reports he was violently detained by Qom’s intelligence apparatus over social-media posts backing the “Iranian National Revolution.” Shadgan wrote that authorities should immediately provide information on Nejati’s physical and legal status and that his swift release should be demanded, amid claims the 27-year-old athlete was severely beaten and arrested on 19 Dey 1404 .
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