US Vice President JD Vance said Friday that the buildup of American forces in the Middle East opposite Iran is intended “to make sure if the Iranians, god forbid, did something very stupid, then we have the resources to respond to it.”
Vance, speaking in an interview with the US news channel Newsmax, added: “The President obviously has a lot of cards he can play. I'm not gonna reveal how he plays them. We just want to make sure that we have options. We have a lot of forces in the region. We have people who could be endangered.”
Against the backdrop of the tensions, Dutch airline KLM on Thursday night canceled its flights to Israel and to other destinations in the Middle East, including the Saudi capital Riyadh and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The company said the decision was due to the situation in the region, and that for now, flights are expected to resume on Sunday.
Also Thursday night, following comments by President Trump, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan claimed there are “signs that Israel still wants to attack Iran.” Such a move, he said, would further destabilize the region. “I hope they find another path, but the reality is that Israel, in particular, is looking for an opportunity to attack Iran,” he said in a television interview in Turkey.
Meanwhile, reports in Iran said Thursday night that after two full weeks of a nationwide internet blackout, service is expected to be restored across all provinces within the next 24 hours. The regime-affiliated Fars news agency reported that the process began Thursday in Isfahan and Fars provinces and is being implemented gradually nationwide. Tehran also reported a meeting between veteran and newly appointed commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who issued a message to President Trump afterward: “We will respond on the ground.”
In Israel, a meeting was held Thursday chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior security officials. The meeting was not defined as a session of the inner security cabinet and also addressed Iran, amid the American military buildup.
Speaking to reporters Thursday aboard Air Force One while flying from Davos, President Donald Trump said the United States is closely monitoring Iran and has deployed numerous ships toward the area. He said a large force is moving in Iran’s direction, adding that he hopes nothing happens but that the situation is being watched carefully.
Trump also said he had prevented 837 executions, describing Iranians as highly intelligent people with an ancient culture. He said he warned that carrying out hangings would trigger an unprecedented response. He added that US actions against Iran’s nuclear program were relatively minor and claimed Iran canceled its plans rather than postponing them. Trump said a massive armada is heading toward the region, though he added it may not be necessary to use it.
When asked whether he wanted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down, Trump said he did not want to address the question directly, but added that Iranian leaders know what the United States wants. He said there is widespread killing.
Iran’s Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi said Friday morning: “The US president claimed he prevented the execution of 800 people in Iran. The American claim is false. Such a number does not exist and the judiciary did not make such a decision. The judiciary is an independent institution and does not take orders from outside.”
Fox News reported Thursday night, citing a White House official, that Trump is closely monitoring the situation in Iran, adding that “all options remain on the table if the regime in Tehran executes protesters.” According to the official, Trump believes the fact that protesters who were expected to be executed were not is good news and expressed hope the trend will continue. The US also announced Thursday that it imposed sanctions on a “shadow fleet” of oil traders that assist Iran, aimed at denying the regime resources to suppress its citizens. The sanctions were imposed on eight companies and nine vessels that transported oil and liquefied gas worth hundreds of millions of dollars
The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln continues its journey to the Middle East. On Thursday it was also reported that the US is considering reinforcing its air defense systems in the region. Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin wrote on X that the carrier is still en route and has not yet transferred from the jurisdiction of the US Indo-Pacific Command to US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East. Britain announced Friday that, at Qatar’s request, several British fighter jets were sent to the Gulf and will be stationed at Al Udeid Air Base to strengthen regional defenses.
From Tehran, Esmail Kowsari, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee, issued a warning: “Iran’s forces have reached a higher level of readiness by drawing on past experience. If the enemies attack, they will receive a lethal and deterrent response, and American bases in the region will be the primary targets.”
Estimates: Between 5,000 and 20,000 killed in protests
Human rights activists in Iran said Friday that the number of people killed in protests across the country has surpassed 5,000, amid assessments that many more — possibly thousands — were killed in the brutal crackdown on mass demonstrations throughout the Islamic republic.
The Associated Press on Friday morning cited a report by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which said at least 5,002 people were killed in the protests, including 4,716 protesters, 203 members of regime forces, 43 children and 40 civilians who did not take part in the demonstrations. According to the organization, more than 26,800 people were arrested as part of the crackdown. The death toll is higher than in any previous wave of protests in Iran in recent decades. AP noted that the group’s reports are based on a network of activists inside Iran and have previously proven accurate.
On Wednesday, Iran published its first official update on the number of deaths, claiming 3,117 people were killed. The regime did not take responsibility for the deaths of protesters, saying 2,427 of those killed were civilians and security personnel and describing them as “innocent victims.” According to the regime, many were bystanders who were deliberately harmed as part of a strategy to increase casualties, or were killed by indiscriminate fire and acts of “terrorist violence.” The remaining protesters killed, the regime said, were “terrorists.”
In the past, the Iranian regime has released figures that were lower than those reported by human rights groups. Iran Human Rights, based in Norway and cited by the United Nations, reported at least 3,428 protesters killed and said this week the final death toll could exceed 20,000. UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato told Bloomberg it could reach 20,000 or more.
The International Center for Human Rights Violations in Iran, an opposition group, claimed Thursday night that 43,000 people were killed, 350,000 wounded and about 10,000 blinded. The figures could not be independently verified.
The UN Human Rights Council held a session Friday on Iran’s violent suppression of the protests and decided to deepen its review of the situation following what it described as an “unprecedented crackdown.” The council’s 47 member states expressed concern over “the unprecedented scale of the violent repression of peaceful protests by security forces.”
The council voted to renew for two years the mandate of a fact-finding mission on Iran that was established following the 2022 hijab protests. The decision authorizes the body to examine “allegations of serious human rights violations and crimes committed in connection with the protests.” The body has already assessed, similar to human rights organizations, that the figures are far higher than those provided by the Iranian regime.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called on authorities in Tehran “to reconsider their position and end the brutal repression, including summary trials and disproportionate sentences.” He added: “I demand the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained by the Iranian authorities. I also call for a complete moratorium on the death penalty.”
Turk said Iranian security forces fired live ammunition at protesters, adding: “The authorities sought to undermine the legitimacy of protesters by labeling them terrorists, enemies or foreign agents. None of this can justify the use of excessive, unnecessary and disproportionate force, nor does it diminish the government’s obligation to ensure due process and transparency in investigations.”
First published: 02:29, 01.24.26