As Iran's nationwide protests roared into Day 4, the regime's crackdown turned deadlier, with security forces unleashing live fire on unarmed civilians in at least two new spots…. a serious escalation from yesterday's scattered clashes in Tehran, Hamadan, and Kermanshah. 

Meanwhile, U.S. backing shifted from sanctions to direct moral amplification, spotlighting protester bravery in a move that could signal much broader international support.

Unlike Day 3's targeted skirmishes, where IRGC units fired into crowds on Tehran's Mellat Street and similar urban hot spots, today's violence hit smaller cities, showing the unrest's rapid diffusion and possibly the regime’s further loss of control…..

In Fasa (Fars Province), fresh footage captured suppression agents blasting live ammunition at protesters storming government buildings, forcing chaotic retreats amid tear gas clouds reports indicate at least one direct hit, though casualty counts remain unverified due to regime blackouts. 

Overnight in Asadabad (Hamadan Province), demonstrators breached Police Station Number 11 to liberate arrested comrades from prior rallies; cops repelled them with live rounds, marking a new tactic of direct assaults on regime outposts. Additional clips from Dezful show narrow alley shootouts, pushing the day's confirmed livefire sites to over five a 67% jump from yesterday's three. 

Observers note a chilling shift: protesters, once hit by pellets and batons, now charge forward undeterred, chanting "We die but won't accept humiliation" as Basij militias falter in the face of sheer numbers.

The rial's freefall worsened overnight, plummeting past 1.45 million per USD from yesterday's 1.445 million low, rendering everyday transactions a nightmare amid 42%+ inflation that's spiked food costs by 50% in the last quarter alone. "This isn't survival, it's suffocation," said a Tehran merchant, as strikes ballooned from three major bazaars yesterday to over a dozen today, including full shutdowns in Isfahan's mobile market and Ramhormoz. 

Protests now span 15+ cities (up from 10), with university students in Arak and Mashhad amplifying economic gripes into overt calls for the Pahlavi monarchy's return "Long live the Shah" a taboo yesterday's chants barely touched. 

Building on yesterday's Treasury sanctions slamming Iran's 180+ shadow fleet vessels slashing oil revenues by 34% year-over-year….. Washington today went vocal. 

The State Department's Persian X account even posted an image of a lone female protester encircled by riot gear, captioned "If courage were an image…", praising Iranian defiance and racking up 50K+ engagements in hours. 

This marks a pivot from economic isolation to active narrative boost, with insiders hinting at potential covert aid channels amid calls from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for global unity. "The U.S. praises their courage," the post amplified, a far cry from yesterday's policy focused announcements, potentially emboldening crowds as international eyes sharpen.

President Pezeshkian reiterated "legitimate demands" today, but the judiciary's "decisive response" vow interpreted as support for lethality contrasts sharply with yesterday's dialogue of going at this peacefully…

Basij deployments hold in squares, yet viral videos reveal retreats under rock barrages, a vulnerability not seen in Day 3's firmer holds. 

And finally, to close it all out, Netanyahu hints that possible new strikes on Iran are not off the table going into 2026:

As 2025 comes to a close, Iran's streets are on fire with a defiance that could redefine 2026….. Keep a close eye on this one.

The United States yesterday rolled out new sanctions targeting Iran’s drone and ballistic missile networks, extending the pressure campaign that has defined Washington’s posture toward Tehran since early 2025.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 10 individuals and entities linked to Iran and Venezuela, accusing them of financing and facilitating Iran’s military drone trade and missile procurement efforts. Among those named were a Venezuelan company and its chairman alleged to have purchased millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian combat drones, as well as Iranian operatives tied to chemical sourcing for ballistic missile production.

Treasury officials said the measures are designed to enforce reimposed United Nations sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program, snapped back on September 27, 2025, and to further isolate the regime’s military industrial complex from global markets.

The move lands just days after Donald Trump publicly warned Tehran not to attempt to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure. Speaking after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar a Lago on December 29, Trump said any effort by Iran to reconstitute its nuclear facilities would be met with renewed U.S. military strikes.

That warning followed the June U.S. led strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, part of a brief but direct escalation after Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and military targets. Trump later said those facilities were “completely and totally obliterated.”

U.S. officials framed the latest sanctions as accountability, not symbolism. Treasury said it would continue to move aggressively against anyone enabling Iran’s weapons programs, while the State Department warned that Iranian arms transfers, including to Venezuela, threaten U.S. regional interests.

The message is blunt.

Sanctions are back. Military force is on the table. And Washington is signaling that Iran’s margin for rebuilding its nuclear and missile programs is rapidly closing.

Israel is asserting strategic independence. After unveiling a $110 billion plan to expand its domestic arms industry, Israel on December 26, 2025 became the first country to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, securing a strategic foothold in the Horn of Africa without waiting for international consensus.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move serves both Israeli and U.S. interests. “Not only for our benefit, but for America’s benefit as well,” he said in a Newsmax interview. Netanyahu described Somaliland as “6 million citizens, moderate Muslims” who are “democratic” and seeking to join the Abraham Accords. “Why not support a democratic, moderate Muslim country that wants to join the Abraham Accords,” he said, adding, “If we have to be first, we will.”

Somaliland has functioned as a de facto state since 1991, holding elections, issuing its own currency, and controlling the strategic Berbera port on the Gulf of Aden. Israel views the territory as a potential partner against Houthi threats and Iranian influence.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Al Jazeera on December 30 that intelligence indicates secret arrangements, including alleged resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza, an Israeli military presence along the Aden coast, and Somaliland joining the Abraham Accords. He warned the move would open what he called a “Pandora’s box” and described it as illegal aggression.

Somaliland officials rejected the allegations, saying no agreements exist without formal international recognition and pointing to $15 million in aid provided to Palestinians.

The U.S. Mission to the UN spoke up December 29. They defended Israel's right to make friends, noting no outrage when countries recognized a Palestinian state earlier. Turkey's Erdogan called it unacceptable. The UK and UAE show interest in recognizing Somaliland too, as a stable Muslim democracy against bad actors.

“Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state. Earlier this year, several countries including members of this council made a unilateral decision to recognize a non-existent Palestinian State.

And yet no emergency meeting was called to express this council’s outrage. This Council’s persistent double standards and misdirection of focus distract from its mission of maintaining international peace and security.”

Rumors built all year. Think tanks talked Red Sea security. There were whispers of U.S./UK, and Israeli interest in Somaliland bases and Gaza resettlement. Now it's out in the open. Somaliland could be the first non-Arab African in the Abraham Accords.

Israel's pattern is simple. Build your own weapons. Pick your own allies. 

No strings from Washington or Europe. Somalia is not happy, but Israel is moving fast fast, turning independence into real power…..First in its military, and now in its allies.

Israel made a long overdue call yesterday, effectively suspending operations for somewhere between 25 to 38 international NGOs in Gaza starting January 1, 2026. 

This targets roughly 15% of the 250 groups active there, enforcing tough new vetting rules from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and COGAT to root out longstanding Hamas and PIJ infiltration or fund misuse. 

For too long, these organizations have been exploited as terror pipelines, diverting aid meant for civilians into rocket stockpiles and tunnels. Now, Jerusalem is holding them accountable with clear standards: full staff lists, funding sources, and activity plans by December 31, or face the boot. Groups with Israel offices shut by March 1.

Big names failed the test, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), CARE International, Oxfam, Save the Children, American Friends Service Committee, and the Italian NGO Emergency, plus others tied to the Palestine NGOs Network and UN Humanitarian Country Team. Take MSF: it runs 20% of Gaza hospital beds and 33% of births, yet dodged Israeli questions on staff cooperating with militants. Israel has solid intel on Hamas contacts embedded across nearly every Gaza NGO, a problem flagged since early December and ignored for years post October 7. These suspended outfits handle under 1% of total aid anyway. Over 20 compliant groups will keep food, medicine, and essentials flowing safely to civilians without the risks.

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli put it best: humanitarian aid is welcome, but exploiting it for terrorism is not. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee backed the move, pointing to terrorists on some payrolls. Watchdogs like NGO Monitor have tracked this for years, providing the evidence that finally forced action.

The suspended groups warn of disaster: 345 hospital beds lost, 293,000 monthly consultations gone, 18,000 surgeries halted, all severe malnutrition centers closed, and 60% of field hospitals offline. They claim food, water, shelter, education, and mental health for millions are at risk, with $1 billion in aid disrupted amid winter floods and storms. They blast the rules as vague and politicized, especially the ban on "delegitimizing" Israel, which they say stifles criticism and breaks neutrality principles. UN teams and 200+ NGOs raised alarms on December 18, predicting aid collapse…… Europe called for reversals and open crossings…..Other critics seem to want all the benefit but none of the checks and balances.

If there is one thing fraud hates, it’s receipts. 

But this is not obstruction, its precision. Past lax oversight let Hamas thrive on "humanitarian" cover. Now, vetted channels ensure aid hits Gaza's vulnerable, not terror caches. The timing is tough with ceasefire wobbles and weather woes, but security cannot wait. This aligns with Israel's broader independence push: $110 billion for homegrown arms, Somaliland recognition on its terms, and now clean aid lines.

 No more free passes for groups that cannot prove they are terror free. Real help reaches civilians……Hamas loses its favorite lifeline. Smart, necessary accountability.