EconoTicker

U.S. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said upon arriving in Israel that his trip is aimed at holding Iran’s Islamic Republic accountable for “killing its own people,” state support for terrorism, and efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon. In a post on X, Graham said he traveled to ensure Washington does not “look the other way” as he described Iran’s leadership as a “criminal ayatollah regime” and “the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism,” adding it has “American blood on its hands.” Praising President Donald Trump’s Iran policy, Graham said Trump “chose the Iranian people over the ayatollahs,” argued Iranian protesters are fully justified in seeking the regime’s end, and warned the current inflection point should not be squandered—likening a potential Islamic Republic collapse to the fall of the Berlin Wall. He added: “Trump is not Obama; he’s Reagan plus,” and said he would discuss with Israeli officials how to sustain and build on the “momentum” generated by Trump’s approach.

A Western intelligence official told Euractiv that China is purchasing roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports—keeping a key financing lifeline for the IRGC and helping Tehran circumvent Western sanctions—while alleging that part of the compensation is delivered as weapons and that Beijing has been a main backer in rebuilding Iran’s ballistic-missile program. The report adds that despite Iran’s economic strain, the Islamic Republic retains the capacity to fund regional proxies, including Hezbollah, supported by sanctions-evasion tools such as a “shadow fleet” for disguised oil shipments and alternative financial channels, including cryptocurrency and gold-trade conduits.

Hamburg’s Social Democrats (SPD), Christian Democrats (CDU), and Greens in the city-state parliament strongly condemned what they described as the systematic suppression of protesters in Iran and called for decisive action against structures and networks in Hamburg seen as close to the Islamic Republic. The parties said authorities should scrutinize and restrict regime-linked organizations and activities as part of a tougher local response alongside broader European pressure.

Omid Nouripour, a vice president of Germany’s Bundestag, has called for a tougher European response to Iran’s crackdown, urging the EU to freeze the assets of Iran’s ruling elites and finally designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. In German media appearances, he also pushed Berlin to open direct channels to Iran’s opposition and civil society and argued that supporting secure connectivity for Iranians should take priority over military options, warning that negotiations risk handing the regime legitimacy.

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 (26 Dey), focused on developments in Iran and the broader Middle East. According to the Kremlin readout, Putin told Netanyahu Moscow is prepared to help mediate on Iran and voiced support for strengthening political and diplomatic efforts aimed at ensuring regional stability and security.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged President Donald Trump in a call on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, to postpone any U.S. plans to attack Iran, according to The New York Times as cited by multiple outlets; officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt have also pressed Washington to hold off, warning an attack could ignite a wider regional conflict and trigger Iranian retaliation. The reported appeals follow Tehran’s warning that it would target U.S. bases in neighboring countries hosting American forces if the U.S. strikes Iran—raising anxiety across Israel and Gulf states about spillover and counterstrikes.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman led an intensive last-minute diplomatic push to dissuade President Donald Trump from launching military strikes on Iran, AFP reported, citing an anonymous source in Riyadh. The source said the Gulf trio warned of severe regional blowback and urged Washington to “give Iran a chance,” as the White House weighs options amid Iran’s crackdown and broader escalation risks; separate reporting has similarly described regional warnings that an attack could trigger wider conflict and expose Gulf-based U.S. assets to retaliation.

The Wall Street Journal reported the Pentagon could order Tomahawk cruise-missile strikes from U.S. destroyers deployed in the Middle East and also employ combat aircraft—such as regional jet fighters and bombers capable of reaching Iran from bases in the U.S. and abroad—if President Trump decides to authorize military action. The report notes that while the absence of a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group in the region complicates assembling a large, carrier-enabled “strike package,” U.S. officials argue Washington still retains options to execute limited or standoff strikes.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican member of the U.S. House, said Iran’s regime is trying to suppress peaceful protests by cutting people off from the outside world. She said lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan proposal calling for immediate U.S. action to support secure communications and internet freedom for the Iranian public. Separately, U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy wrote on X that the regime is “a bunch of murderous criminals” that has long chanted “Death to America” and killed Americans, adding: “It’s time for the trash to be taken out.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump’s consideration of major strikes tied to Iran’s crackdown and support for protesters was constrained by limited U.S. “in-theater” combat power—after a major naval shift to the Caribbean that left no U.S. carrier strike group deployed in the Middle East, complicating fast assembly of a large “strike package.” The report also said Trump was warned an attack would not guarantee regime collapse and could escalate into a wider war; the Pentagon is meanwhile moving to bolster posture, including plans for the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to head toward the region, a transit expected to take about a week.

A senior Iranian official, Rezaee, likened U.S. pressure to “Hitler’s armies getting stuck in Russian snows,” arguing that “Iran is the same as the snow in Russia” and that Trump’s position will worsen the more he advances. He said Iran is exercising “strategic patience” and maintaining “brotherhood” with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar—while warning that “no base of yours will be safe in these countries,” and adding that Iran must be prepared for war and is ready.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran “halted 800 executions” yesterday, but warned that if the killing continues there will be “grave consequences.” Leavitt repeatedly stressed that “all options remain on the table,” adding that only President Trump knows what he will do next and that he is closely monitoring the situation.