Gulf states warn Trump against sending 'help' to Iranian protesters as tensions continue

Gulf states warn Trump against sending 'help' to Iranian protesters as tensions continue

JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Arab Gulf states have been warning the Trump administration not to strike Iran after Trump and White House officials stated on Tuesday that military action was more likely than not, according to a Wall Street Journal report. 

Per the WSJ, Iran's rival Gulf states have largely avoided addressing the protests that have spread across Iran since late December, leaving thousands dead.

Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar informed the White House that even attempting to overthrow the current Iranian regime would destabilize the global oil market and ultimately hurt the American economy, according to WSJ.

A White House official told the Wall Street Journal that Trump was unlikely to heed these warnings outright, saying, “the President listens to a host of opinions on any given issue, but ultimately makes the decision he feels is best."

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said that "help is on its way" to Iran and asked Iranians to keep protesting against the Islamic Republic regime.

"Iranian Patriots, keep protesting - take over your institutions! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price," Trump shared on Truth Social. "I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters stops. Help is on its way. MIGA!" he assured.

Trump's comments come as he is expected to convene senior administration officials on Tuesday to discuss possible courses of action regarding Iran. The meeting will be "significant," several US officials told The Jerusalem Post.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Tuesday that he was “horrified” by mounting violence by Iran’s security forces against peaceful protesters.

Meanwhile, sources have told The Jerusalem Post that in the western Iranian provinces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Ilam, entrances to many cities have been blocked, and numerous checkpoints have been set up.

According to the sources, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps security forces are stopping vehicles, searching them, and, in some cases, forcing citizens to unlock their mobile phones

With the complete shutdown of the internet and telephone services, the only means of accessing news and information for many Iranians is currently satellite television, which is subject to heavy jamming in most cities. There have also been reports of security officials house-checking in cities such as Tehran and confiscating civilians’ satellite dishes.

The protests, which began on December 28, continue despite the communications restrictions and rising casualties.

US Pulls Military Personnel From Key Middle East Bases Amid Rising Tensions With Iran – Report

US Pulls Military Personnel From Key Middle East Bases Amid Rising Tensions With Iran – Report

Sputnik

The US is withdrawing some personnel from key bases in the Middle East as a precautionary measure amid rising tensions in the region, the agency reports, citing an unnamed US official.

"The US is pulling personnel from key bases in the region as a precautionary measure amid heightened regional tensions," the agency writes.

The move follows comments by a senior Iranian official who said that Tehran had warned neighboring countries hosting US forces that US bases would be targeted if Washington carries out strikes against Iran, the report added.

In late December, US President Donald Trump said he would support new strikes on Iran if Tehran attempted to continue developing its missile and nuclear programs. Later, amid protests and unrest in Iran, Trump threatened the country with a strike if protesters were killed, stressing that he would come to the aid of the Iranian people if necessary.

Washington's threats of strikes against Iran are absolutely unacceptable, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

Pepe Escobar: How BRICS May Deliver Structural Shock to US Dollar System

Pepe Escobar: How BRICS May Deliver Structural Shock to US Dollar System

The oligarchy that really controls the Empire of Chaos has hit the panic button, as the structural contours of Hegemony seriously wobble.

The petrodollar is one of the key features of this Hegemony: a recycling machine channeling non-stop buying of US Treasuries then spent on Forever Wars. Any player even thinking of diversifying from this infernal machine is met with asset freezes, sanctions – or worse.

At the same time, the Empire of Chaos cannot demonstrate raw power by bleeding itself dry in the black soil of Novorossiya. Dominance requires ever-expanding resources, side by side with that non-stop printing of US dollars as a reserve currency to pay for astronomic bills. Additionally, borrowing from the world works as imperial financial containment of rivals.

But now a choice becomes imperative – an inescapable structural constraint. Either keep astronomical spending on military dominance (enter Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion budget for the Department of War.) Or keep ruling the international financial system.

The Empire of Chaos cannot do both.

And that’s why, when the math was done, Ukraine became expendable. At least in theory.

The straw that broke the steppe camel’s back was the freezing – actually stealing – of Russian assets after the expulsion of a nuclear/hypersonic power, Russia, from SWIFT. Now it’s clear that Central Banks everywhere are going for gold, bilateral deals and considering alternative payment systems.

As the first serious structural shock to the system since the end of WWII, BRICS is not overtly trying to overturn the system – but to build a viable alternative, complete with large-scale infrastructure financing bypassing the US dollar.

Venezuela now illustrates a critical case: Can a major oil producer survive outside of the US dollar system – without being destroyed?

The Empire of Chaos has ruled, “No”. The Global South must prove it wrong. Venezuela was not that critical on the geopolitical chessboard as it represented just 4% of China’s oil imports. Iran in fact is the crucial case, as 95% of its oil is sold to China and settled in yuan, not US dollars.

Iran though is not Venezuela. The latest coordinated intel op/terror attacks/regime change attempt on Iran – complete with a pathetic mini-Shah refugee in Maryland – miserably failed. The threat of war, though, remains.

The US dollar now represents less than 40% of global currency reserves - the lowest in at least 20 years. Gold now accounts for more global foreign exchange reserves than the euro, the yen and the pound combined. Central Banks are stockpiling gold like crazy, while BRICS accelerates the test of alternative payment systems in what I previously defined as "the BRICS lab".

One of the scenarios being directly proposed to BRICS, and designed as an alternative to cumbersome SWIFT, which does at least $1 trillion in transactions a day, features the introduction of a non-sovereign, blockchain-based trade token.

That’s The Unit.

The Unit, correctly described as “apolitical money”, is not a currency, but a unit of account used for settlement in trade and finance between participating countries. The token could be pegged to a commodity basket or a neutral index to prevent domination by any single country. In this case it would work like the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), but within a BRICS framework.

Then there’s mBridge – not part of the “BRICS lab” - which features a multi-central bank digital currency (CBDC) shared among participating central banks and commercial banks. mBridge includes only five members, but that includes powerful players such as the Digital Currency Institute of the People's Bank of China and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Other 30 countries are interested to join.

mBridge tough was the inspiration behind BRICS Bridge, still being tested, which aims to speed up a range of international payment mechanisms: money transfers, payment processing, account management.

It’s a very simple mechanism: instead of converting currencies into US dollars for international trade, BRICS countries exchange their currencies directly.

But that, for the moment, is on hold – because all the NDB’s statutes are linked to the US dollar, and that must be reassessed. With the NDB integrated into the broader financial infrastructure of BRICS member-nations, the bank should be able to handle currency conversion, clearing, and settlement under BRICS Bridge. But we’re still very far away from that.

BRICS Pay is a different animal: a strategic infrastructure for building a self-described “decentralized, sustainable, and inclusive” financial system across BRICS+ nations and partners.

BRICS Pay is on pilot mode all the way to 2027. By then the member-nations should start discussing a deal to set up a settlement unit for intra-BRICS trade no later than 2030.

Once again, that will not be a global reserve currency; but a mechanism offering a “parallel, compatible option” to SWIFT within the BRICS ecosystem.

More....

Earthquake swarm sends shockwaves rippling over 100 miles across California

Earthquake swarm sends shockwaves rippling over 100 miles across California

CHRIS MELORE

A swarm of moderate earthquakes has struck California, sending shockwaves in all directions for over 100 miles.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected the first and largest of the quakes at 4.10pm ET Tuesday afternoon between the cities of Willits and Ukiah, measuring 4.4 in magnitude.

The epicenter was approximately 120miles north of San Francisco, the region's largest major city.

Seismic maps of the incident revealed that the 4.4 tremor rippled all the way to the San Francisco Bay Area, sending out light shaking up and down the coast.

The quake was quickly following by three minor tremors, measuring at magnitude 1.7 at 4.16pm, magnitude 1.5 at 4.21pm, and magnitude 1.4 at 5.14pm.

Nearly two hours after the first earthquake, USGS reported that a magnitude 3.7 seismic event was detected at 5.51pm. 

The sizable quakes were centered in a seismically active part of the state roughly 10miles from Northern California's Maacama Fault.

The Maacama is an active fault line in the region that can cause strong shaking and damage in areas like Mendocino and Sonoma counties, where it runs through rural communities and wine country.

Making the fault even more of a concern to locals is the fact that it's part of the larger San Andreas Fault system, the infamous 800-mile-long fault running through much of California.

The 4.4 quake struck less than five miles beneath the surface, which is shallow enough to cause a significant amount of shaking at ground level.

USGS scientists have documented that the Maacama Fault has produced large earthquakes in the past and could potentially generate one in the future which could exceed magnitude 7.0 in strength.

Tuesday's quakes have renewed fears that a major earthquake is not only possible in Northern California and the Bay Area, but is nearly guaranteed to erupt within the next 20 years.

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Strong and shallow M6.2 earthquake hits Kuril Islands, Russia

Strong and shallow M6.2 earthquake hits Kuril Islands, Russia

Teo Blašković

A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 struck the Kuril Islands region, Russia, at 07:34 UTC on January 13, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 35.8 km (22.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.3 at a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles).

The epicenter was located 133 km (83 miles) SE of Kuril’sk (population 1 607), Russia, and 326 km (203 miles) ENE of Nemuro (population 31 223), Japan.

5 000 people are estimated to have felt light shaking.