EconoTicker

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said he spoke with China’s foreign minister about Iran’s crackdown on protests. He also raised a reported 25% tariff threat by the Trump administration targeting countries that continue trading with Iran.

A senior Iranian official, Rezaee, warned President Donald Trump to “step back” and not escalate further, comparing Washington’s pressure to “Hitler’s armies getting stuck in Russian snows” and arguing “Iran is the same as the snow in Russia”—meaning the more Trump advances, the worse his position will become. Rezaee said Iran is exercising “decency and strategic patience” and claimed Tehran maintains “brotherhood” with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar, but cautioned that “no base” belonging to the U.S. would be safe in those countries. He added he hopes “wise men” in America steer Trump toward another path, while stressing Iran must also be prepared for war and is ready.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday, January 15, 2026, that “800 executions” in Iran that were scheduled for “yesterday” were halted, while warning that “if the killing continues” there will be “grave consequences.” Leavitt added that President Trump is “closely monitoring” developments and repeatedly stressed that “all options remain on the table,” while also saying only Trump knows what he will ultimately do regarding Iran.

Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, wrote on X that when Iran’s Islamic Republic dictatorship claims it will no longer execute anyone, it is “flatly lying.” He added: “Either the oppressors must go, or the killing of protesters will continue.”»

President Donald Trump reiterated that the U.S. “needs” Greenland and showed no sign of backing off after a high-stakes Washington meeting, even as the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland again stressed the autonomous territory is not for sale. The standoff is raising the temperature inside the NATO alliance and keeping the Arctic’s strategic value—defense positioning, critical minerals, and sea lanes—at the center of a widening transatlantic dispute.

Market impact: Primarily a geopolitical risk headline—potentially supportive for safe havens (USD, gold) and defense/Arctic-exposure themes if rhetoric escalates, while adding a modest uncertainty premium to European risk assets at the margin.

Conservative commentator and former U.S. Homeland Security advisory council member Mark Levin wrote on X that “Arab dictatorships” are, in his view, supporting Iran’s regime and the killing of its citizens while simultaneously lobbying Washington against “effective” U.S. military action—arguing they warn a regime collapse would let Israel fill a power vacuum.

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that a Fox News report claiming an Iranian protester would not be sentenced to death was “good news,” adding that he hopes it continues—comments linked in reporting to Iran’s judiciary denying a death sentence for detained protester Erfan Soltani.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday afternoon (January 15, 2026) for a briefing on the situation in Iran, after the United States requested an emergency session aimed at updating members on recent developments.

Omid Nouripour, vice president of Germany’s federal parliament (Bundestag), said Iran has seen days of “brutal repression and killings,” arguing the next step should be financial pressure and placing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the EU terrorism list—a move he says would materially tighten the squeeze on the regime’s security apparatus as the crackdown continues.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye will continue diplomatic initiatives on Iran and that Ankara does not “approve or condone” the possibility of using violence against Iran, stressing that the priority is preventing further destabilization. His remarks came amid escalating regional tensions and growing speculation around potential military action.

Australia’s official travel advisory says the Australian Embassy in Tehran has suspended operations, leaving Canberra’s ability to provide consular assistance in Iran extremely limited. The advisory reiterates “do not travel” guidance and urges Australians in Iran to leave as soon as possible if it is safe, directing those needing urgent help to the Consular Emergency Centre.

German lawmaker Norbert Röttgen wrote on X that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) should be placed on the EU’s terrorism list, arguing the move would tighten financial and political pressure on the regime’s core security apparatus amid Iran’s ongoing crackdown. The renewed push comes as EU capitals revisit the long-running debate over an IRGC designation, which requires unanimity among member states.