Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Anti-Iran Regime Protests Grow Across Country


Anti-Iran regime protests grow across country as Trump admin boosts demonstrators offering support



Protests spread across Iran on Tuesday after President Donald Trump and other administration officials voiced support for demonstrators. Speaking Monday, Trump pointed to Iran’s economic collapse and long-standing public discontent while stopping short of calling for regime change.

Inside Iran, demonstrations entered a third consecutive day, expanding beyond the capital’s commercial center. The exiled opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) reported widespread strikes and student protests across Tehran and multiple provincial cities, describing clashes with security forces and anti-government chants. A video obtained by the NCRI appears to show protesters pushing back security forces, forcing them to leave the scene on Tehran’s Jomhouri Street. 

Iran International reported that universities emerged as major protest hubs, with rallies at Tehran University, Sharif University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, Elm-o-Sanat University and Khajeh Nasir University. Security forces tightened entry controls at campuses and reinforced offices linked to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Strikes spread across Tehran’s Shoush and Molavi districts and into Isfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Square, while parts of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and the gold market shut down. Mobile phone traders gathered outside major shopping centers after closing their stores. Protests turned violent in several locations, with tear gas fired in Tehran and Malard and reports of live fire in Hamadan. Nighttime demonstrations were reported from Qeshm Island in the south to Zanjan and Hamadan in the north, with videos showing chants of "death to the dictator."


Speaking at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, Trump said he was "not going to talk about overthrow of a regime." Instead, he focused on Iran’s deteriorating economy and the state’s violent response to protests. "They’ve got tremendous inflation. Their economy is busted, the economy is no good," Trump said. 

"Every time they have a riot or somebody forms a group, little or big, they start shooting people," Trump said. "You know, they kill people. All of a sudden people start getting shot and that group disbanded pretty quickly."

Trump said he has watched the unrest build for years, describing Iran’s leadership as brutal.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz issued a direct message of support. "The people of Iran want freedom," Waltz wrote on X. "We stand with Iranians in the streets of Tehran and across the country as they protest a radical regime that has brought them nothing but economic downturn and war." 

A parallel statement from the U.S. government’s Persian-language account, @USAbehFarsi, said Washington supports the Iranian people’s efforts "to make their voices heard," urging the Islamic Republic to respect fundamental rights rather than suppress protests.



New Years Eve Cancelations: A Sign Of Global Intifada?


New Years Eve cancelations - a sign that the global intifada is here


There’s only one way to react to the news that Paris, Germany, Australia, Belgrade, Serbia, Tokyo and Hong Kong have all canceled their outdoor New Year’s Eve celebrations. And that would be to acknowledge that the global intifada is here.

If you’re asking why many major world cities have come to this bleak decision, it is as a result of serious security concerns over the fear that they can no longer guarantee the safety of their citizens at a moment in time when surprise terror attacks are rampant in so many places.

In the case of Paris, police cited worries over “unpredictable crowd movements” at the iconic site of the Champs-Elysées, where the festivities are generally held. But given that they still intend to display their annual fireworks show at the Arc de Triomphe, it’s not clear how they expect to keep the public away. 

Belgrade’s mayor has not only canceled the New Year celebrations of midnight on the 31st of December but also celebrations for the Serbian New Year, traditionally observed from January 13-14, again, over security concerns.

Hong Kong has decided to change the venue of their celebration without providing for a specific reason, while a particular district of Tokyo, which apparently intended to hold an event this year, has also nixed it, citing potential crowd problems.

If you’re a dot connector, this one might not be too difficult to figure out. An unsuspecting world has opened the doors of their countries to individuals who are not exactly lovers of mankind. 

Skipping the crucial step of checking to see who they’re allowing in, they took it for granted that the many newcomers would not include those who view public gatherings as a great opportunity to plan a terror attack, resulting in massive casualties.

In short, ringing in the New Year will not be the worldwide annual event it’s always been, because no one wants to see the year start off with a “big bang” of the tragic type. Sadly, this is the reality of the ushering in of 2026 – a wake-up call to humanity, with a cancelation of life as we’ve known it.

Those carefree days, where gathering together to watch a ball drop, as the New Year approaches, may now be a fond but distant memory. Sadly, it will also affect other annual events, such as Christmas markets, fairs, Independence Day commemorations and even sports events, where thousands of people have always gathered. Because, unlike other years, they may not return home, the same day, in one piece.

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Ad Kan Chairman: 'Hamas document exposes preparations for next massacre'


Ad Kan Chairman: 'Hamas document exposes preparations for next massacre'
Shimon Cohen


A Hamas internal document outlining the group’s lessons from the Swords or Iron war and its future plans - including intentions regarding Judea and Samaria - has been uncovered in recent days. The document was exposed by the organization Ad Kan and the Reservists Generation of Victory movement, which located it on Hamas-affiliated social media channels.

Gilad Ach, chairman of Ad Kan, said the document was distributed internally to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and summarizes roughly two years of fighting while setting strategic goals for the future.


The document reached us through Ad Kan’s research department. It was published for the Al-Qassam Brigades and reflects two years of combat experience alongside future objectives,” Ach said. “It shows their continued ability to communicate and organize. We believed Hamas had suffered a crippling blow, but the document suggests it still maintains a stable command structure, weapons capabilities, and readiness for further fighting. They do not view ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ as a failure, but as a success - and as something that will happen again.”


According to Ach, the document characterizes the opening day of the war as a success, despite acknowledging that not all objectives were achieved. “They describe the outbreak of the war as ‘the glorious crossing day,’ claiming they succeeded in paralyzing Israel,” he said. “They argue that the next confrontation will involve multiple fronts - Judea and Samaria as well as Lebanon - and state their goal is to end the current war while still standing.”

The authors also cite what they describe as a significant political achievement: international pressure on Israel. “They claim they succeeded in turning Israel into a pariah state in much of the Western world, particularly in Europe, leading to boycotts and diplomatic isolation,” Ach said.

Addressing Hamas’s continued operational capabilities, Ach pointed to testimonies from released hostages. “The hostages reported that beneath Gaza exists a vast underground city - tunnels, rooms, multiple levels, and command-and-control centers - even beneath areas under IDF control,” he noted. “The Deir al-Balah area, which was not fully captured due to concerns about hostages, remained largely intact. From there, Hamas leaders can continue issuing orders.”

Regarding future plans, Ach said the document lays out a coordinated multi-front attack scenario. “They claim that if they were able to overrun southern Israel quickly with 3,000 Nukhba operatives and another 6,000 unaffiliated fighters, then next time they will do so simultaneously from Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and Lebanon,” he said. “In their words, that would guarantee Israel’s destruction.”

Ach added that such documents are not difficult to obtain. “This is material distributed among Gaza-based groups and accessible to Arabic speakers. It is information that often does not reach the Israeli public,” he said.

Summarizing the document’s implications, Ach warned that it challenges assumptions about the war’s outcome. “What emerges is a picture in which, while many believed the war was over and that Hamas had been decisively defeated, the objectives were not achieved,” he said. “The threat to the Gaza Envelope has not been removed, Hamas was not destroyed, and the next October 7 could be around the corner. This appears to be just another round. Hamas remains standing, and after several years of recovery - rebuilding tunnels and smuggling weapons - it will be ready again. Its goal remains unchanged, and its ideology has not been uprooted.”





Christians are Disappearing from the Middle East


Christians are Disappearing from the Middle East



For nearly two millennia, Christianity has been woven into the fabric of the Middle East. Long before Europe adopted the religion, ancient churches flourished from Jerusalem to Damascus, Antioch, Mosul and Alexandria. Today, those communities are disappearing at an alarming pace, and not only is it going unreported, but it’s more impactful than most realise. In country after country, populations of Christians have collapsed catastrophically thanks to war, Islamist extremism, economic pressure, and quiet discrimination emptying lands where Christianity was once native. The result is the erasure of a moderating, pluralistic presence from one of the world’s most volatile regions. And, what’s even more concerning is the West’s seemingly total indifference to it. 


Christianity didn’t arrive in the Middle East – it was born there. The earliest communities spoke Aramaic and Greek rather than Latin and English, and cities such as Antioch – where believers were first called Christians – and Alexandria were cultural and theological centres centuries before Europe emerged from paganism. 

These early churches survived Roman persecution, Islamic conquest, and Ottoman rule. But what they are struggling to survive today is totally different: the modern collapse of order, combined with ideological hostility and Western disengagement. When Christians leave an area, they rarely return, and the cultural loss is permanent. 

The demographic collapse is stark. In Iraq, Christians made up 10% of the population as recently as one century ago. Today, they are well under 2%, numbering fewer than 300,000 in total. In Syria, the Christian population has fallen by more than half since 2011 – in the past 14 years alone. Lebanon was once a rare Christian-majority state in the region, but now sees its Christian share being eroded by emigration and demographic imbalance. 


Even in Egypt, home to the ancient Coptic Church, Christians face persistent discrimination, second-class legal status, and sporadic violence. Across the Middle East and North Africa, the trend is consistent: fewer Christians with less protection and more pressure to leave.  

At the start of WWI, Christians represented 20% of the region’s population. Today, it’s estimated to be less than 3%, with a decline from 3.3 to 2.9% being reported between 2010 and 2020 alone.  













Trump Signals Support for Further Strikes on Iran If Nuclear Threat Persists.


Trump Signals Support for Further Strikes on Iran If Nuclear Threat Persists
National Pulse


President Donald J. Trump said he is prepared to support Israeli military action against Iran if Tehran continues advancing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said, “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we have to knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them.” He added, “But hopefully that’s not happening. I heard Iran wants to make a deal. If they want to make a deal, that’s much smarter.”

The meeting marked the fifth face-to-face encounter between Trump and Netanyahu this year and came amid ongoing regional tensions following a fragile ceasefire between Israeland Hamas brokered by Trump in October. Both Israel and Hamas have since accused each other of violating the agreement, complicating efforts to stabilize Gaza.

Iran remained a central focus of the discussions. Earlier this year, Tehran halted cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), effectively suspending inspections of its nuclear facilities. The move heightened concerns in Washington and Jerusalem about Iran’s nuclear intentions and reduced international oversight of its program.


In August, War Secretary Pete Hegseth removed the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) following the leak of an assessment that questioned the effectiveness of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure. More recently, the Trump administration increased deportations of Iranian nationals from the United States, signaling a broader hardening of policy toward Tehran.