Iran prosecutor: 'No stop to executions, nonsense from Trump'

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged the government to "redouble its efforts" to tackle the economic crisis in the country, where inflation nearing 40 per cent and the collapse of the rial has triggered strong street protests.

"The economic situation in the country is not good and the population is really struggling for its livelihood, I know," he said in his speech in Tehran reported by local media. "This is precisely why government officials have to work twice as hard, to secure basic necessities and meet the general needs of the population.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said on Saturday that Iran considers US President Donald Trump a 'criminal' for inflicting casualties, damage and slander on the Iranian people during the protests.

"The latest anti-Iranian sedition was different in that the US president was personally involved," Khamenei was quoted by Iranian media as saying.

The Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards had to call on the support of their allied forces in the region in the killing of Iranian protesters on 8 and 9 January. Iran International writes this. According to information gathered by the London-based opposition media, Afghanistan's Fatemiyoun Brigade, Pakistan's Zainebiyoun Brigade, and Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces carried out a significant part of the killings. The media quoted Hassan Hashemian, an expert on Arab affairs. The expert told Iran International that the Iranian authorities have turned to foreign forces because of personnel shortages. According to Hashemian, the scale of the protests throughout Iran has in fact exceeded the capacity of the internal security forces. "The Islamic Republic is facing a shortage of forces and the scale of the Iranian national uprising has been so large that domestic forces have been unable to handle it," he said, adding that the reported scale of casualties indicates the involvement of experienced militias. "The fact that between 12,000 and 20,000 people were killed in two days shows that these groups were deployed specifically to kill. They have previous experience in Iraq and Syria

In Iran, 'I think we have to work towards de-escalation. This is what Italy continues to do; I have also spoken about it with the Sultan of Oman, who played a very important role with us in the negotiations. I want to reiterate my solidarity with the Iranian people and those who legitimately demonstrate for their rights and for a better future. I do not believe that demonstrating for one's rights can be paid for with one's life. We condemn the repression and killings by the Iranian regime, we call on Iran to guarantee the safety of citizens who want to demonstrate, but we are working for a de-escalation and to return to negotiations that can resolve the nuclear dossier in particular'. This was said by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, speaking to journalists at the Italian embassy in Tokyo.

Donald Trump was inclined to order an attack against Iran on Tuesday and had asked the Pentagon to prepare. US officials went to bed expecting to receive the final order and strike on Wednesday. But the order - reports the Wall Street Journal - never came: grappling with alternative and divergent views within the administration on the certainty of the regime's downfall, Trump renounced the raid, also due to the lack of adequate military assets in the area and the pressure from Israel and Arab countries. The fear that an attack could have prolonged the conflict also weighed heavily.

3,090 people have been killed in Iran in the course of the violent repression of protests in the squares of several cities in the country, the NGO Human Rights Activists reports. The death toll continues to rise. The protests came to a halt on Wednesday as the Internet blackout continues across the country.

Several police officers were injured after a protest in front of the Iranian embassy in London escalated into violence. The clashes led to several arrests, according to the London police, whose officers were hit by rockets. Sky News reports. Health officials confirmed that four people were transported to hospital after the London Ambulance Service was called to the riots in South Kensington at 8.45pm (local time) yesterday. The police in the British capital reported that several of its officers sustained injuries, and footage on social media appears to show that other protesters were also injured during the demonstrations.

Iran is planning to permanently abandon the Internet, allowing only individuals controlled by the regime to go online. This is reported by 'The Guardian', which cites Iranian digital rights activists. "A confidential plan is underway to turn international internet access into a 'government privilege'," according to a report by Filterwatch, an organisation that monitors internet censorship in Iran, citing several sources in the country. "State media and government spokesmen have already signalled that this is a permanent change, warning that unrestricted access will not return after 2026," the report continues.