Transcription
Iran has been the scene of widespread protests for days. Starting in the capital, Tehran and focused on economic issues. The protests have spread to become an explosion of public anger against the government and its policies.
The slogans chanted by the protesters reflect the depth of the accumulated dissatisfaction in Iranian society and the deep economic, political and social concerns from high prices and inflation to protests against the priority of foreign policy over domestic needs and direct criticism of the country's leadership.
In this case, the United States is exploring options for limited intervention in Iran amid ongoing mass protests against the regime of Ayatala Ali Khani. The Jerusalem Post reports citing several sources familiar with the discussions in Washington and Jerusalem.
According to the publication, until recently, neither the US nor Israel believed the protest movement in Iran had reached a scale sufficient to pose a credible threat of regime change. However, the situation changed following the US military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the arrest of Nicolas Maduro. This precedent, sources note, has forced a reassessment of what forms of pressure on authoritarian regimes can be effective without a large-scale military operation.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem is exploring whether Maduro's removal could create a window of opportunity for action against the Iranian regime. Israel was reportedly caught off guard by the speed and scope of the American operation in Karakas which has impacted its strategic calculations visav Iran.
As the Jerusalem Post points out, a different position prevailed in both Washington and Jerusalem this summer. The primary goal was considered to be containing Iran's nuclear program and preventing retaliatory strikes on Israel, not regime change. However, Thran's weak attempts to restore its military capabilities after the June strikes, the rise in protest activity, and the experience of American pressure on Venezuela could change this approach.
According to the publication, no final decisions have been made yet. The White House continues to assess the implications of Maduro's detention and possible scenarios for how the situation in Venezuela itself might unfold. However, sources emphasize that for the first time in a long time, the US and Israel are discussing the idea that a limited intervention in support of protesters in Iran, short of a full-scale war, may be a realistic option.
The collapse of the national currency has disrupted sales of imported goods and rampant inflation has put a heavy strain on people's daily lives. According to official statistics from the statistical center of Iran, prices rose by an average of 52% in December compared to the previous year, but the price increases were even greater for basic goods.
The slogan freedom, freedom, freedom has again become a symbol of student protests. Media reports that students at Thran's Haj Nasir Alin Tusi University of Technology were chanting the slogan in the university's hallways while stamping their shoes. Students in a Tehran University dome held a rally chanting free student protest protest. Following the rally, security forces surrounded the dome and blocked the entrances. The next day, the protest spread to at least 10 other major universities in the capital.
Russian Zed volunteer SA Denisova has effectively refuted Moscow's claim that a strike hit a cafe with civilians and children in the village of Holly in the Herson region. In her post, she explicitly states that there could not have been any civilians at the site. Journalist Denise Kazanski drew attention to her reasoning.
According to Denisova, Koli has long ceased to be an ordinary settlement. It's a resort town where virtually all the expensive homes, resorts, and hotels have been confiscated from local residents and handed over to collaborators and Russian military personnel. The civilian population, she claims, has been effectively expelled from the village. Volunteer Zed also describes the actions of Sergey Zapuscalov, the head of Ki appointed by the occupiers. According to her, he declared homes abandoned on mass. If the owners refused to cooperate and confiscated their homes and land, people were intimidated, threatened with basement, and accused of supporting Ukraine, forcing them to leave.
Dennis Sava confirms that Ki is currently completely closed to public entry. Military posts are stationed at the entrances and entry into the village is only possible with special passes. This, she says, rules out the possibility of any civilians being present there, much less families celebrating. As a result, it becomes difficult to dispute the fact that the cafe allegedly occupied by Russian propaganda contained not civilians, but rather representatives of occupation forces and military personnel.
Kazanski emphasizes an important point. This is not the Ukrainian side making this claim, but a Russian citizen who openly supports the war and regularly visits the occupied territories. Recall Vladimir Salaldo, the Russian appointed leader of the temporarily occupied part of the Kersonen region of Kersonen Oblast, has claimed that Ukraine struck the village of Holi in Herson Oblast on the night of the 31st of December to the 1st of January, causing casualties.
Ukraine's general staff has responded by saying that Ukrainian forces strike only military targets. Information on strikes conducted by Ukraine's defense forces on the night of the 31st to the 1st of January has been posted on the official social media pages of the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine. Ukraine's defense forces adhere to international humanitarian law and conduct strikes exclusively against the enemy's military targets facilities of the Russian fuel and energy sector and other legitimate targets with the aim of reducing the military potential of the aggressor state. Lyovi added that Russian propaganda outlets and Russia's military and political leadership have repeatedly resorted to disinformation and false claims, including attempts to influence Ukraine's international partners and the course of peace talks.
Herson's most media outlet reported that the strike had damaged the Ukranska restaurant and the Leo Hotel in Holly. Videos posted by Russian media outlets show that several drones struck the hotel. The building was seriously damaged due to at least four direct hits.