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Demonstrations against Iran’s ruling establishment escalated sharply over the past day, with unrest reported in multiple cities. Early accounts said opposition forces had taken control of Karaj, while large crowds flooded the streets of Tehran, Mashhad, and other urban centers, shouting slogans against the government and its religious authorities.

As the turmoil has widened, the Chief of Staff of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Amir Khatami, issued a pointed message aimed at US President Donald Trump, cautioning him against any involvement in the unrest shaking the country.

Khatami dismissed the idea that the protests have any connection to Washington or to Israel, referring to the Prime Minister of “the criminal Zionist entity.” He asserted that ordinary Iranians have conducted themselves in a “dignified and admirable” way, standing firm against what he described as “rioters” and declining to follow the course he claimed the United States and Israel had anticipated.

According to the Iranian general, public demonstrations are a normal occurrence worldwide, but he argued that when protests descend into violence, that shift is “certainly” the product of deliberate orchestration by “the enemy.”

Khatami’s remarks came after Trump publicly warned Iran’s leadership that harming civilians amid the protests could trigger a direct response from the United States. Trump said America would not remain on the sidelines and would hold Iran’s leaders personally accountable for any injury inflicted on their own people.

{Matzav.com}

The State Department said Wednesday that it has suspended all U.S. assistance to Somalia’s federal government over allegations that Somali officials destroyed an American-funded warehouse belonging to the World Food Program and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for impoverished civilians. “The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion […]

[Videos below.] Public dissent continued to surface across Iran, with demonstrators in the capital and outlying regions using increasingly blunt symbols and slogans to denounce the ruling system and its leadership.

Earlier in the week, protesters in Tehran echoed language used by Elon Musk in a recent social media post criticizing the Iranian regime, adopting the term “murderer” in reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a highly symbolic gesture, one protester displayed a sign in the heart of the city bearing the words “President Trump Street.”

In western Iran, unrest was reported Wednesday night in the city of Ilam, where demonstrators gathered in the streets chanting “Death to Khamenei,” according to videos sent to the Iran International website.

Separate video clips circulating on social media showed protesters in Fars Province tearing down and destroying a statue of Qassem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.

That act followed a similar incident last week in the southwestern city of Lali in Khuzestan, where demonstrators set fire to another statue of Soleimani.

The latest destruction occurred on the eve of the anniversary of Soleimani’s killing in a US drone strike in Iraq on January 3, 2020, a date that continues to carry deep symbolic weight amid Iran’s ongoing unrest.

WATCH:

Protesters took to the streets in Ilam, western Iran, on Wednesday evening, chanting “Death to Khamenei,” according to videos sent to Iran International.pic.twitter.com/kKxTpbDmw3

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) January 7, 2026

— Protesters destroy and topple a Qasem Soleimani statue in one of the counties of Fars Province pic.twitter.com/kxdnq03PwC

— The Palestinian Observer (@TPObserver) January 7, 2026

Israel’s Defense Ministry and the IDF announced Thursday that they have completed the distribution of thousands of advanced Arad assault rifles to rapid response teams across the country, marking a key milestone in the government’s postwar community defense strategy. According to the ministry, the weapons were distributed as part of a joint initiative led by […]

After approving a plea agreement, the Yerushalayim District Court imposed a custodial sentence on Lev Tahor cult leader Elazar Rompler, ordering him to serve 24 months behind bars, less time already spent in detention. The ruling also included suspended sentences, a fine of 10,000 shekels, and an order to pay 12,000 shekels in compensation to the victim.

In its decision, the court described the incident in stark terms, writing that “the facts detailed in the first count, which concerns the assault, are severe and chilling,” and stressing that the violence displayed especially serious characteristics.

Rompler was convicted of aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm after he struck a 10-year-old boy in front of other students within the Lev Tahor cult. The verdict noted that the attack took place publicly, in the presence of the child’s peers.

The court also found Rompler guilty of breaching a legal order by leaving Israel despite a stay of exit order and evading the proceedings. He fled the country while the case was pending.

Following his escape, Rompler was apprehended abroad and returned to Israel through an extradition process carried out by the International Department of the State Prosecution.

During sentencing submissions, the Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office, represented by attorney Tzur Huta, underscored the extraordinary gravity of the offense. Prosecutors pointed to the abuse of a position of authority within a closed community, the targeting of a defenseless minor, and the fact that the violence occurred in front of other children.

{Matzav.com}

Protests in Iran sparked by economic woes have spread nationwide across the Islamic Republic, activists said Thursday, as stores across the country shut their doors and authorities appeared to be selectively slowing internet access. Wednesday saw the most-intense day of demonstrations, reaching rural towns and major cities in every province though still localized enough for daily […]

California will lose $160 million for delaying the revocations of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants, federal transportation officials announced Wednesday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy already withheld $40 million in federal funding because he said California isn’t enforcing English proficiency requirements for truckers. The state notified these drivers in the fall that they would lose their licenses after a […]

Over the past 12 days, protests across Iran have left at least 45 people dead, including eight minors, according to human rights groups. More than 2,000 people have been arrested, according to activists. Tonight, authorities imposed an internet shutdown for the first time since the unrest began, as the crackdown intensified. The protests were sparked […]

VP VANCE: “I think Tim Walz should resign because it’s very clear either that he knew about the fraud in Minneapolis.. or at the very least, he looked the other way… This is not movie villain fraud. This is the lowest IQ possible fraud… If you can’t spell ‘Learning,’ maybe you shouldn’t be in early […]

JD VANCE: “Every president, Democrat or Republican, believes the war powers act is fundamentally a fake and unconstitutional law. It’s not going to change anything about how we conduct foreign policy over the next couple of weeks, the next couple of months.”

An Israeli High Court hearing on Thursday placed a spotlight on the government’s handling of budget transfers to chareidi educational institutions, after the state acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of the funds in question were moved improperly.

During the session, state attorney Neta Oren conceded that about 90 percent of the one billion shekels transferred was not carried out in accordance with legal requirements. She told the court that the transfer followed established procedures, saying that “there is such a practice” of moving funds in this manner. Justice Yael Wilner rejected that explanation, replying, “This is not legal.”

Justice Wilner also questioned the legal basis for the timing of the transfers, noting that most of the money appeared to have been moved before approval by the Knesset Finance Committee. Turning to the state’s representative, she asked pointedly, “By what authority?”

Earlier in the hearing, Justice Wilner sharply criticized the Knesset’s representative for failing to present the Finance Committee protocol, underscoring its importance by stating, “The protocol is the heart of the matter”.

The petition was filed by the Yesh Atid party, which argued that the funds were directed to chareidi institutions that do not teach core curriculum subjects and are not subject to state supervision, in violation of existing law.

Separately, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara informed the court on Wednesday that she supports lifting the interim order that froze the transfer. She added that if it is ultimately determined that money was allocated to institutions that fail to meet the required criteria, the sums could be offset or deducted at a later stage.

{Matzav.com}

According to Reuters, U.S. officials have discussed offering lump-sum payments to residents of Greenland as part of efforts to persuade the island to secede from Denmark and potentially join the United States. Sources familiar with the discussions said figures ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person have been considered, though no final amount or plan […]

VP JD VANCE: We have over 1,500 subpoenas that the Department of Justice has issued to get to the heart of the fraud ring. We’ve done almost 100 indictments, mostly Somali immigrants, but also a few others.

VP JD Vance: We are creating a new assistant attorney general position who will have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud. Of course, that person’s efforts will start primarily in Minnesota, but it is going to be a nationwide effort.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: Let me clear, President Trump and his entire administration stand FULLY behind the heroic men and women of ICE and always uphold law and order.

Russia has rejected President Trump’s 20-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, with Moscow saying the proposal is “far from a peace settlement” and would fuel escalation. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the plan, including deploying a multinational force in Ukraine, amounts to forming a “true axis of war” and undermines European security.

Belgium has stopped providing consular services to Belgian citizens living in Israeli areas beyond the Green Line, including passport services, civil registration, and voting in Belgian elections. The move affects thousands of Belgian nationals. Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the decision as discriminatory, saying it targets citizens based on their place of residence. The ministry stated […]

Surveillance footage shows three suspects rushing into a bodega in the Longwood section of the Bronx, where the clerk was held at gunpoint during an armed robbery.

Decades after the Holocaust, families are being reunited with personal items stolen by the Nazis, including wallets, photographs, religious objects, and other belongings taken from victims during World War II. In several cases, archives and museums in Europe have located these items and returned them to surviving relatives. Families say the return carries deep personal […]