Iran protests LIVE: Iran’s exiled crown prince has made a fresh pitch for Iran’s future where he said opportunity will replace isolation. “A free Iran will become a reliable energy supplier to the free world. Policy-making will be transparent. Iran’s actions will be responsible. Prices will be predictable,” he said in a video message shared on X. Pahlavi also said Iran will have ‘normalised’ ties with the US and Iran’s “friendship with America and her people will be restored.”

“The State of Israel will be recognized immediately. We will pursue the expansion of the Abraham Accords into the Cyrus accords bringing together a free Iran, Israel, and the Arab world,” he said.

Iran protests LIVE: After weeks of protests that started with a shutdown over Iran’s poor economy and rising inflation last month, the uprising in Iran appeared increasingly smothered Thursday. The agitation intensified last week as the clerical government snapped the internet and pushed Iran into a communication blockade. Over 3,400 people have reportedly been killed since December 28, 2025 with US threatening Iran with a possible military action if it continues to crack down on the protesters.

President Donald Trump also hinted at a possible de-escalation, saying the killing appeared to be ending and Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, also said the Trump had informed Tehran that he will not attack the country.

Meanwhile, Iran also clarified it was not planning to execute 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was arrested last week amid raging protests. Reports of the death sentence against Soltani had further heightened the global tensions.

Iran protests LIVE: India has issued an advisory for Indian nationals in Israel, advising them to remain vigilant and strictly adhere to the safety guidelines. The advisory also urged Indian citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Israel amid tensions in Middle East. “Indian nationals are also advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Israel. In case of any emergency, Indian nationals may contact the Embassy of India’s 24×7 helpline at: Telephone: +972-54-7520711; +972-54-3278392,” the advisory read. Click here to read full story

Iran protests LIVE: Several officials of the Iranian govenrment are facing US sanctions in wake of the crackdown on anti-government protetsts in Iran. Among those sanctioned is Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, AFP reported. Larijani has been accused by the Washington of coordinating the crackdown and calling for force against protesters. Four regional commanders of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces and Revolutionary Guard were also sanctioned for their roles in the crackdown in Lorestan and Fars provinces. The Treasury also designated 18 individuals and entities accused of operating “shadow banking” networks that launder proceeds from Iranian oil sales through front companies in the UAE, Singapore and Britain. These networks funnel billions of dollars annually using cover companies and exchange houses, as Iranian citizens face economic hardship, according to the Treasury.

Iran protests LIVE: Amid the brutal crackdown on Iranians protetsing against the clerical government, the US on Thursday imposed sanctions on Iranian security officials and financial networks as they accused them of orchestrating a violent crackdown on peaceful protests and laundering billions in oil revenues. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the measures as Iran reels under massive anti-government protests that started last month. “The United States stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was quoted as saying by AFP.

Iran protests LIVE: Amid the looming threat of a possible US military action, IRGC Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Karami has said Iranian armed forces are on high alert. “We are ready at the highest possible level,” Karami was quoted as saying by state-owned Press TV.

Iran protests LIVE: Iran’s hardline judiciary chief has personally interrogated protesters arrested in a crackdown that has sparked an international outcry, amplifying fears among rights groups about the use of “forced confessions” to instil fear in society.

On Thursday, state television showed Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, who has spent his career at the heart of the Islamic republic’s legal apparatus and has been sanctioned by both the European Union and United States, quizzing several people the authorities accuse of being “rioters”.

It aired footage of the former intelligence minister and top Tehran prosecutor interrogating two detained women, their faces blurred, both of whom broke down in tears while questioned. (AFP)

Iran protests LIVE: Canada on Thursday said that one of its citizens had been killed in Iran amid the ongoing tensions. “I have just learned that a Canadian citizen has died in Iran at the hands of the Iranian authorities. Our consular officials are in contact with the victim’s family in Canada and my deepest condolences are with them at this time,” Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand said. “Peaceful protests by the Iranian people – asking that their voices be heard in the face of the Iranian regime’s repression and ongoing human rights violations – has led the regime to flagrantly disregard human life. This violence must end. Canada condemns and calls for an immediate end to the Iranian regime’s violence,” she wrote on X.

Iran protests LIVE: While the US has officially not said anything on how and when, if at all, it plans to take a military action against Iran, Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said that US President Donald Trump informed Tehran that he will not attack the country and asked that Iran also exercise restraint, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported. Meanwhile, Trump has also said he was told that killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests were easing and that he believed there was no current plan for large-scale executions.

Iran protests LIVE: Preparations are reportedly underway to evacuate Indians from protest-hit Iran as the threat of a US military intervention also looms over Tehran amid a brutal crackdown nationwide protests that began last month. In view of the evolving situation in Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs is making preparations to facilitate the return of Indian nationals who wish to travel back to India, news agency PTI reported quoting official sources. Earlier on Wednesday, India asked all its nationals residing in Iran to leave by available means and avoid any travel to the country.

There is no official confirmation on when the evacuations will begin. However, the J&K Students’ Association on Thursday claimed that the first batch of stranded students from Iran is likely to return to India on Friday.

Iran protests LIVE: Even as Iran reopened its airspace after brief closure on Thursday, European airlines are reportedly avoiding to fly over Iran and Iraq amid simmering tensions in Iran where anti-government protests have turned deadly,. The airlines are instead taking routes over Afghanistan and central Asia in an effort to mitigate risks associated with the ongoing geopolitical turmoil in Iran and the Middle East, Reuters reported.

Iran protests LIVE: New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters condemned the brutal crackdown on protesters in Iran as he urged all New Zealanders in Iran to leave for their safety.

Iran protests LIVE: Despite Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi showing a lot of faith in US intervention for regime-change in Iran, it doesn’t look like that US President Donald Trump is fully the son of Iran’s last Shah. In an interview with the Reuters, Trump described Pahlavi as a nice man but expressed uncertainty over whether Pahlavi would be able to muster support within Iran to eventually take over. “He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country. And we really aren’t up to that point yet,” he said, adding that there was a chance Iran’s clerical government could collapse. “I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me,” he was quoted as saying.

Iran protests LIVE: Amid simmering tensions in Iran, UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss Iran’s deadly protests at the request of the United States. The development comes even as President Donald Trump left unclear what actions the US would take against Iran. On the other side, Tehran appeared to make conciliatory statements after Trump’s warning of action if Iran didn’t stop further killing of protesters, including the execution of anyone detained in the brutal crackdown in the ongoing nationwide protests. Iran also said it had no plans to execute 26-year-old Erfan Soltani who was arrested on January 10 during the protests.

Iran protests LIVE: The protests in Iran have subsided as the brutal government crackdown left scores of people dead, Al Jazeera reported, citing local residents in Tehran. “The protests have calmed in the last two or three days because of the sheer number of people killed. That’s why people did not go out,” the reported quoted an anonymous resident as saying. While the government has not officially disclosed the exact number of casualties, reports suggest that over 3,400 people have been killed in protests so far that began on December 28, 2025.

Iran protests LIVE: A death penalty in Iran triggered another global row amid the ongoing protests as Rights organisation Hengaw earlier this week reported 26-year-old Erfan Soltani was due to be executed on Wednesday. However, Iran’s foreign minister said Iran had “no plan” to hang people and Iranian state media on Thursday also reported Soltani, who was arrested during protests in the city of Karaj on January 10, would not be given the death sentence. The judiciary said Soltani, currently held in the central penitentiary of Karaj, is being charged with “colluding against the country’s internal security and propaganda activities against the regime” but that the death penalty does not apply to such charges if they are confirmed by a court.

With inputs from agencies.

Iran protests LIVE: India’s key carrier IndiGo Airlines on Thursday said several international flights on Thursday were impacted as a result of the sudden Iran airspace closure amid rising tensions. “This development is beyond our control, and we regret the disruption it may have caused to your travel plans. If your flight is impacted, we encourage you to visit our website to explore flexible rebooking options or to claim a refund, as per your preference,” the airlines said in a post on X.

Iran protests LIVE: The J&K government on Thursday appointed a nodal officer to coordinate with the Centre and diplomatic authorities for the safety and possible evacuation of residents and students from the Union Territory stranded in protest-hit Iran amid the ongoing tensions there, PTI reported. According to a government order, Additional Resident Commissioner Anil Sharma has been designated as the officer for coordination and liaison in respect of residents and students of Jammu and Kashmir presently residing or studying in Iran.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) claimed that the first batch of students is likely to return to India on Friday.

Iran protests LIVE: The G7 countries warned of further sanctions against Iran amid the deadly crackdown on demonstrators amid simmering tensions in Iran. “The members of the G7 remain prepared to impose additional restrictive measures if Iran continues to crack down on protests and dissent in violation of international human rights obligations,” the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union’s main foreign policy chief said in a joint statement. The leaders said the G7 members were “gravely concerned” by the developments in Iran, and that they “strongly oppose the intensification of the Iranian authorities’ brutal repression of the Iranian people”.

“We strongly oppose the intensification of the Iranian authorities’ brutal repression of the Iranian people, who have been bravely voicing legitimate aspirations for a better life, dignity and freedom, since the end of December 2025,” the statement published in EU’s website said. The G7 countries urged the Iranian authorities to “exercise full restraint, to refrain from violence, and to uphold the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Iran’s citizens”.

Iran protests LIVE: Amid the ongoing agitation in Iran, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Thursday called for restraint, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Wang said Beijing opposed “the use or threat of force in international relations. “China… opposes the use or threat of force in international relations, opposes countries imposing their own will on other countries,” Wang told Araghchi, adding that China was “willing to play a constructive role” toward a resolution.

China’s remarks come amid heightened global tensions over Iran protests as Trump hinted at a ‘wait and see’ approach after issuing multiple warnings of intervention to quell the unrest in Iran which, according to an NGO, has killed over 3,400 individuals.

With inputs from AFP

Iran protests LIVE: Following US President Donald Trump’s remarks that he would ‘watch and see’ about military action over the crackdown on protesters, Iran vowed to defend itself against any foreign threat. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also told Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan of the importance of “global condemnation of foreign interference in the internal affairs of regional countries”.

via AFP

Iran protests LIVE: Several European airlines on Thursday continued to avoid Iranian airspace despite its reopening after temporary partial closure on Wednesday.

Airlines like Wizz Air, Lufthansa and British Airways dodged Iraqi and Iranian airspace on Thursday, according to Reuters, which cited flight tracking websites to report the information. The airlines opted instead for routes over Afghanistan and central Asia to avoid the unrest hit Middle East region.

Iran closed, then reopened after nearly five hours its airspace after on Wednesday amid concerns about possible military action between the US and Iran that forced airlines to cancel, reroute or delay flights.

China’s foreign minister called for dialogue and restraint in resolving disputes in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart on Thursday, according to a readout released by China’s state-run news agency Xinhua.

China opposed the use or threat of force in international relations, and said it believes Iranian government and people could overcome difficulties and safeguard national stability, Wang Yi told Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi.

China hoped all parties would cherish peace, exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue, he said, adding that Beijing was willing to play a constructive role.

(via Reuters)

Iran protests LIVE: Without ruling out the possibility of US military action, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had been told that killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests were easing and that he believed there was no current plan for large-scale executions.

He hinted at adopting a wait‑and‑see approach after issuing multiple warnings of intervention to quell the unrest in Iran which, according to an NGO, has killed over 3,400 individuals.

After Iran’s foreign minister said Iran had “no plan” to hang people, Iranian state media on Thursday reported that a 26-year-old man arrested during protests in the city of Karaj would not be given the death sentence.

“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping — it’s stopped — it’s stopping,” Associated Press, AFP and other news agency quoted Trump as saying at the White House while signing executive orders and legislation. “And there’s no plan for executions, or an execution, or executions — so I’ve been told that on good authority.”

Trump said he would “find out” later if it was true, but he didn’t explain how.

Iran protests LIVE: German lawmaker Norbert Rottgen on Thursday called for designation of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group, saying it would have a strong impact and raise pressure on Tehran.

“The terror listing of the Revolutionary Guards would have a concrete effect,” Rottgen said in a post on X.

He said the move would hit financially and politically the group he described as elites of the repression apparatus.