Category World News

Iran’s leaders are continuing to promise harsh punishments for “rioters” who were detained during recent nationwide demonstrations as they exchange barbs with US President Donald Trump in a continuing digital blackout.

In a post on X on Monday, judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei wrote, “Our main work at the judiciary has just begun.”

He claimed that if we treat someone who is not deserving of leniency with impunity, we have violated the law.

His remarks came as the majority of Iranians are still completely unconnected, despite a brief period of partial reconnection on Sunday.

Ejei also met with parliamentarian Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and president Masoud Pezeshkian, who both promised punishment.

They said “murderers and terrorist seditionists” will face immediate punishment in a joint statement released by state media, and that those who were “tricked” by foreign powers could benefit from “Islamic compassion” shown by authorities.

President Trump stated to reporters last week that Iran had “canceled the hanging of over 800 people.” He said at the White House, “I greatly respect the fact that they canceled.

Trump had warned the US of its possibility of attacking Iran a few days prior, but he had earlier issued a few days before that the country’s president had reportedly ordered mass killings.

The US and Israel have been accused of funding and arming the protests by Iranian authorities on numerous occasions.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, admitted on Saturday that “many thousands” of people had been killed during the demonstrations, but that the theocratic establishment claimed that foreign powers, rather than state forces, were directly to blame.

Since the protests were allegedly started by shopkeepers in Tehran’s downtown on December 28, thousands have been detained, according to state authorities, who almost daily release new arrests.

An undetermined number of members of a “terrorist team” that had allegedly entered Iran through its western frontiers were detained in Tehran, according to the intelligence ministry on Monday.

More arrests have been made in Kerman, Isfahan, Mazandaran, Shiraz, Bandar Anzali, according to state media, who claimed among other targets that the targets were “leaders of riots” who allegedly committed violent crimes against government buildings and mosques.

The country’s hardline chief of police, Ahmadreza Radan, stated on Monday that “tricked” protesters “have three days to turn themselves in so they can receive reduced sentences.

He continued, “We have made a promise to the people to detain the rioters and terrorists until the last person,” noting that many of those detained have already made” confessions about committing crimes like murder and looting.

In recent days, state television has broadcast dozens of people’s confessions with blurred-out faces, continuing a practice that has endured for many years despite receiving national criticism.

Iranian authorities have also emphasized that they intend to seize the belongings of those who publicly supported or participated in the protests in order to make up for some of the financial losses sustained during the protests.

According to Mohammad Movahedi Azad, the hardline cleric who leads the prosecutor general’s authority, “the damages of recent riots must be demanded from the backers of the monarchy sedition” and these people must be held accountable.

All of the assets of a major businessman, including a number of renowned cafes across the nation and several top food brands, were seized, according to the Fars News Agency, which is a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Approximately half of the assets’ total value is thought to be comparable to the amount of damages incurred in Tehran.

Voria Ghafouri, a well-known former football player who was detained in 2022 for supporting previous national protests, had his cafe taken as well.

Trump threatens to “cross the red line.”

Trump demanded Iranians to “take control” of “government institutions” at the height of the protests, before expressing “great respect” for the Iranian leadership on the grounds that more than 800 political prisoners’ planned hangings had been postponed.

However, on Saturday, Trump claimed that the Islamic Republic’s 37-year rule in Khamenei should be overturned, prompting some of its most powerful figures to fire back.

The Guardian Council, a powerful 12-member constitutional watchdog that must approve legislation before it becomes law, condemned the “intense and baseless rhetoric” of the criminal and foolish “US president,” in a statement released by state media.

The council emphasized that any violation of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s “red line” will result in high costs and serious consequences for the country’s citizens.

Trump “used all of his non-existent credibility to create chaos, insecurity, and killings in Iran,” according to Ghalibaf, the parliament’s chief, during a public hearing on Monday.

Internet blackout continues to exist.

Hossein Afshin, the Iranian president’s deputy for scientific affairs, also stated to reporters on Monday that internet restrictions would gradually “be lifted,” but he did not provide any additional details.

The establishment may be testing ways to more forcefully impose its controlled digital blackout of the Iranian population, according to NetBlocks and other international monitors.

The top mobile and internet service provider Irancell, one of the nation’s top mobile and internet companies, was replaced by a new CEO, according to state media on Monday.

According to the Tasnim news agency, which is also affiliated with the IRGC, some of Irancell’s operators resisted the order to “restrict communications” on January 8 for several hours. That night saw the sudden shut-down of all mobile communications, including the internet, at a previously unthinkable rate.

The reformist Ham-Mihan daily newspaper was taken on Monday, according to state media, with the confiscation of two reports citing the protests as the cause.

World leaders from politics, business, academia, and civil society all gathered for the five-day event at Davos, Switzerland, on Monday for the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting.

The annual forum attempts to shape global agendas during a time of upheaval.

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, and other world leaders are scheduled to attend the annual gathering. His presence comes as the US’s relations with its European allies strained as a result of his threat to overtake Greenland, a Danish semi-autonomous territory, as governor.

What’s more about the WEF and what’s in store for the meeting are provided.

The WEF is what?

Geneva, Switzerland, is the home of the WEF, a think tank and event planner. Business executives convened at the first summit in Davos in 1971. However, its scope has grown over time, covering topics ranging from global cooperation to economic disparity, climate change, and technology.

In 2026, where will the WEF summit be held?

The conference center in Davos, a ski town in Switzerland known for its ski resort and population of about 10,000, will host the summit.

In the eastern Alps of Switzerland, Davos is situated at a height of about 1,500 meters (or nearly 5, 000 feet).

Since 1971, the WEF summit has taken place there every year in January.

When is Davos’ summit scheduled?

The annual meeting will end on January 23 and the main sessions will begin on January 19.

Every day at 9 am (08:00 GMT), sessions begin.

Who is supposed to attend and who is not?

Untold numbers of activists, journalists, and outside observers are expected to attend in addition to nearly 3, 000 high-level attendees from business, government, and beyond.

A record number of nearly 400 top political figures, including more than 60 heads of state and government, and about 850 chairpersons and chief executives from many of the world’s leading companies, are expected to attend, according to organizers.

Trump, who is scheduled to give a speech on Wednesday, as well as several cabinet ministers and top advisers, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to a report from Bloomberg News, Trump also wants to hold a meeting of his “Board of Peace” on Gaza.

Whose representatives are at the WEF summit include French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, Vice Premier He Lifeng of China, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The organization claims to have 11 central bank governors, 34 ministers for trade, commerce, and industry, and 55 ministers for economy and finance.

Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Satya Nadella from Microsoft, Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, and Arthur Mensch of Mistral AI from France are among the tech titans who are scheduled to attend.

Among the top officials from international organizations are Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the head of the WTO.

Who won’t be there?

The summit’s organizers announced on Monday that Iran’s foreign minister would not be present, stressing that it would not be “right” in light of the recent deadly crackdown on protesters there. On Tuesday, Abbas Araghchi was scheduled to address.

The WEF reported on X that the Iranian Foreign Minister would not be attending Davos.

Although he was invited last fall, the Iranian government should not be represented at Davos this year, it continued. The tragic loss of lives for civilians in Iran over the past few weeks.

Israel has also been invited, as it is accused of carrying out a genocide in Gaza. Israel will be represented at the gathering by President Isaac Herzog.

Due to the severe flooding in his country, Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo canceled his trip to Davos and will not be present. He stated late on Sunday on social media that “saving lives is the top priority right now.”

What’s on the schedule?

This year’s theme is “A Spirit of Dialogue.” A wide range of topics, including climate change and artificial intelligence, will be covered in more than 200 sessions.

According to Reuters news agency sources with knowledge of the situation, Trump is scheduled to meet with world business leaders on Wednesday.

After Trump’s address at the WEF’s annual meeting, business leaders, including CEOs in consulting, crypto, and financial services, are invited to a reception, according to sources who spoke to Reuters on Monday. The schedule was ambiguous.

What has changed this year?

This year, the geopolitical context has become incredibly complex: Trump’s pronouncements and policies on issues as diverse as Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran have altered the world order and raised questions about US involvement in the world.

Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on his Greenland takeover bid has been dubbed “blackmail” by European Union leaders.

A hot topic has also emerged about the benefits and drawbacks of AI. Business leaders will consider how to use it to improve productivity and profits, labor advocates and advocacy groups will warn about the threat it poses to people’s livelihoods and jobs, and policymakers will examine how to navigate the best transition between regulation and the right to innovate.

The organizers of the Davos conference always use the term “A Spirit of Dialogue,” which centers on the themes of cooperation, growth, investment in people, innovation, and fostering prosperity. This year, the theme is “A Spirit of Dialogue.”

Gaza: When Steve Witkoff announced “phase two” of the ceasefire, it seemed like the update everyone in Gaza was looking for. Phase Two really made it seem like things might be turning around in his words, with the exception of phase two.

Another announcement arrived less than 24 hours later. A new “Board of Peace” was created by the White House and is tasked with establishing a technocratic body that would oversee post-war Gaza. Dr. Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian official, will serve as the committee’s chairperson as part of a forward-looking reconstruction and stability strategy.

It appears to be a movement on the surface. similar to a structure like imagining a world without war.

There isn’t a sense of confidence in Gaza, though. There is a lot of doubt.

When the destruction is still visible everywhere, and no one has been held accountable, many Palestinians here struggle to comprehend how a board intended to rebuild Gaza can include those who have publicly supported Israel.

Buildings are still standing in ruins. Families are still grieving. The entire neighborhood has vanished. Talk of governance and reconstruction seems to be aback in light of this.

The contradiction is difficult to ignore for families who have lost their homes, loved ones, and sense of security. It’s difficult to assume any future will be built by those who appear unaffected by the present suffering and unaffected by responsibility for it.

Nothing has really changed for those whose daily routine is characterized by the constant buzz of Israeli air strikes and sudden Israeli air attacks.

Parents are still pondering where their kids will sleep tonight. Aid workers still determine their routes based on where they are most in need rather than which roads will actually keep them alive. Families continue to hush up at night, trying to discern whether the silence will last or if fighting will reappear.

These official statements, exactly? They distance themselves from what is actually happening. Although a second phase might be included in a news release, the majority of people still feel stuck in their original state.

Speeches and headlines don’t seem to have a ceasefire in your opinion. You sense it in the sudden silence, the easing in your chest, and the nights that don’t end in a jolt when you hear something missing. That is what people are anticipating. Not the milestone, but the label. simply the change itself.

It’s common to feel relieved and depressed after months of loss and exhaustion to think things are improving. The concept of progress is cherished by diplomats. Governments must declare that the momentum is growing. However, who actually leads this? They simply desire a steady object. They want to know that tomorrow will not be as bad as it was today and that they can rise up and not sneeze.

That feeling is not present, though. Promises are inconsistent, deadlines are slipping, and too many commitments fade into the background. This doesn’t seem like peace on the move for those who are affected; instead, it feels like everything is hanging by a thread and ready to snap at any moment. It doesn’t feel any safer just by calling it “phase two.”

Then there is the quieter pain of hope being inflated too thin. People learn to lower their expectations when official expressions don’t match reality. Hope turns into something you hold dear but don’t trust a lot because it hurts once more when you’re let down. Lacks trust when announcing progress before anyone can feel it. It is eroded by it.

This is not about removing diplomacy. Just be honest, really. People need to experience “phase two” in their daily lives: Fewer funerals, hospitals that operate, roads that don’t feel like traps, days when there isn’t always a fear.

Walking down the street without bracing yourself, sleeping through the night without making plans for a run in the event of an emergency creates real peace in those small, everyday moments.

“Phase two” is largely just a symbol up until those times appear. And no matter how optimistic they may seem, symbols can’t protect anyone. That is only possible with real change.