2026/01/28NetBlocks: 20 Days In, Iran’s Internet Still “Whitelist” and Unstable
NetBlocks says that 20 full days after Iran imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, most ordinary users are still facing severe filtering and unstable access under a “whitelist” system . While the number of networks and data centers visible internationally has notably increased —a sign of partial re-emergence of connectivity—the watchdog says this has not translated into normal public access , with many services still unreliable or heavily restricted.
2026/01/28US Forces “Ready” Briefing to Israel as Iraq Warns of Possible Iran Clash
Israel’s Channel 14 reported that Washington has briefed Israeli officials on the readiness posture of U.S. forces for a potential operation against Iran, according to Iran International’s coverage. In parallel, Iraq’s foreign minister warned that the risk of a strike on the Islamic Republic and a wider military confrontation exists—highlighting Baghdad’s concern that escalation could spill across borders. The reporting comes amid broader signs of heightened U.S.–Iran tension, including precautionary moves around U.S. regional basing and personnel as Washington weighs options.
2026/01/28Shamkhani: Any U.S. Strike Means War—“Tel Aviv’s Heart” on Target
Ali Shamkhani, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative on Iran’s defense council, warned on X that the idea of a “limited” strike is an illusion, saying any U.S. military action against Iran— “from any origin and at any level”—would be treated as the start of a war and met with an “immediate, comprehensive, and unprecedented” response. He added that if Iran is attacked, Tehran’s retaliation would target the “aggressor,” “the heart of Tel Aviv,” and all those he described as supporters of the aggressor, underscoring escalating deterrence messaging amid heightened regional tension.
2026/01/28U.S.: Iran Escalates Religious Minority Crackdown After Protests
The U.S. State Department said the Islamic Republic has intensified a new wave of systematic repression against religious minorities in the wake of recent protests, with a particular focus on Bahá’ís, who it described as facing some of the harshest forms of religious persecution in Iran. Washington said Bahá’ís are increasingly being detained on what it called baseless accusations—including “espionage” and alleged “links to Zionism”—and argued this fits a longstanding pattern in which Tehran, after broad domestic crackdowns, uses the climate to scapegoat religious communities. The statement added that other groups—including Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Sunnis—are also being targeted with unfounded charges, calling the campaign a clear, systematic human-rights violation aimed at silencing anyone or any group not aligned with the state, and insisting the international community will not be misled by such narratives.
2026/01/28Leaked Tasnim Memo Targets Prince Reza Pahlavi as “Enemy Tool”
Iran International reports it obtained a confidential document attributed to Tasnim News Agency’s Strategic Center that outlines a media line—linked to an outlet associated with the IRGC—aimed at undermining Prince Reza Pahlavi and discouraging public support for his calls. According to the reported memo, the messaging goal is to persuade audiences that Prince Reza Pahlavi is inconsistent in his positions, evades responsibility, and is not a genuine political or social actor, but rather an “enemy” media instrument—framing designed to erode credibility and weaken mobilization around his name.
2026/01/28Nujaba Commander Warns of Region-Wide Escalation if Iran Is Hit
Akram al-Kaabi, the leader of Iraq’s armed group Harakat al-Nujaba, warned that any U.S. or Israeli military strike on Iran would “ignite” the wider region, framing it as a trigger for an open-ended conflict with cascading retaliation beyond Iran’s borders. He argued that once fighting begins it would not remain contained and could expand over time to reach the attackers’ own cities and communities—language that underscores how Iran-aligned factions are messaging deterrence through the threat of broader regional escalation.
2026/01/28Tehran Signals Enrichment Flex, Warns US Bases “In Range”
Iran’s envoy in Egypt, Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, told Sky News Arabia that Tehran has “not closed the doors of diplomacy,” but said any negotiations must be “fair” and based on mutual respect. He added that Iran could offer concessions by lowering its uranium-enrichment level , while warning that if Iran is attacked, U.S. military bases, fleets, and warships would be within Iran’s reach . The report also notes Iranian state media quotes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denying any recent contact with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and arguing talks cannot proceed “under threats.”
2026/01/28Families Say Cemeteries Charged Fees to Search Victims’ Names
A family of a “Javidnam” protest victim told Iran International that for days after their loved one was killed, they received no answers from officials wherever they went to follow up—until a visit to a cemetery where, they say, they were told they must pay a fee simply to search the deceased registry. The account adds to broader reports that bereaved families have faced pressure after the protests, including demands for money—sometimes described as “haghe tir” (a so-called “bullet fee”)—to retrieve bodies, alongside threats, delays, and charges during the handover process, while also being restricted from speaking freely. The family said many mourners have additionally been prevented from holding funeral and burial ceremonies in the way they want.
2026/01/28Pezeshkian’s Office Says It Will Publish Names of the Dead Amid Disputed Toll
Masoud Pezeshkian’s office said it will publicly release the names and identifying details of all those killed in recent incidents, adding that a mechanism has been set up to review and verify conflicting claims, in what it described as a response to “forgeries and manufactured statistics.” The Islamic Republic’s officially announced figure puts the death toll at 3,117 , with officials saying 2,427 of those were “martyrs and security defenders.” Iran International’s editorial board, citing what it says are confidential datasets provided from within government bodies, has reported the real number of those killed is more than 36,500 —a claim that sharply contradicts the official tally.
2026/01/28Israel’s UN Envoy: Iran’s Wealth “Funds Terror,” Not People
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote on X that the “ayatollah regime” makes no investment in the Iranian people and instead channels the country’s resources into financing terrorism, pointing to Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis as what he called direct products of that policy. He framed it as “the same regime, the same method,” accusing Tehran of exporting hatred and violence rather than prioritizing domestic welfare.
2026/01/28Tehran Dollar Pops Above 160,000 Toman
The U.S. dollar in Tehran’s free (unofficial) market reportedly jumped by about 10,000 tomans day-on-day and moved above 160,000 tomans per dollar (≈ 1.60 million rials ), according to currency price-tracking outlets and local market reports. The move underscores intensifying demand for hard currency and a higher risk premium, typically feeding through into import costs and inflation expectations as the market reprices political and macro uncertainty.
2026/01/28Rubio: No Simple Script for Iran After a Regime Collapse
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there is no “simple answer” to what happens if Iran’s supreme leader and the Islamic Republic were to fall, arguing the country’s power structure is complex and any transition scenario would be hard to predict. He said the best hope may be that a pathway to an orderly transition could emerge “from within the existing structure,” while cautioning that such an outcome would require careful thinking given the regime’s long entrenchment.
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