The Islamic Republic is entering a phase that regimes recognize when they feel it’s possible their time is running out. There is a particular quality to the silence that descends on a country when its government knows the end is near. It is not the silence of peace. It is the silence of a state strangling itself.

Israeli journalist Amit Segal captured it best when asked about coordination between Washington and Jerusalem on the possibility of an American attack. "A heavy cloud of silence surrounds the Israeli leadership," he said.

"They prefer not to comment. It is very reminiscent of the period on the eve of Operation Cast Lead, months when people told you to switch to WhatsApp, then to Signal, and today they say, 'Forget it, I do not want to talk about it.' In that sense, the situation is quite similar. One thing is certain. Israel will not learn about it from the news."

This is how great powers prepare for war, or whatever comes next. Not with press conferences, but with encrypted messages and back channels. Inflation hovers above 42 percent and $1 ≈ approximately 1,457,000 Iranian rials in the free market as of today. Protests rage across 185+ cities in all 31 provinces. At least 544 are confirmed dead, with reports even jacking that number up to 10,000 according to some unverified “eyewitness” reports who spoke to the BBC. At least 10,000 have been arrested with that number likely closer to 12,000.

And, as of now, the internet is still down.

Shortly after President Trump announced he would work with Elon Musk to restore internet access, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the government would resume service. "The situation has come under total control," he claimed. Let’s see about that.

A CNN reporter pressed him on it: "Which options have you been briefed on?" Trump lashed back, bashing her for trying to get him to give detailed plans on what the U.S. is planning. "I'm getting briefed every hour on the situation in Iran," he said. "We'll make a decision, the military is examining several options."

"Which military options?" she followed up.

"What, do you want me to tell you exactly where and when we'll attack and from what angle? Where are you from? CNN, you fake news."

If Trump were to be planning an imminent attack on Iran, fortifications would be needed on U.S. assets throughout the region. As of yet, we have not seen any buildup of assets. That does not, however,  mean they are not in the late planning stages.

Iranian security forces were still captured on film firing live ammunition at protesters as they scattered. Phone cameras kept recording, even when the networks were dark. So when the internet returns fully, the footage we will likely see will be vicious. The only footage we have as of now is leaking via people who have managed to get access to Starlink.

Amit Segal said "Look at the full circle here.” "Jimmy Carter, one of the worst presidents in U.S. history, hastened his own downfall when he demanded that no violence be used against the protesters. Everything was framed around human rights, and the result was the emergence of a regime that today violates human rights more than almost any other in the world."

Donald Trump wants to fix this, Segal said, and he is not alone in that assessment. "He intends to act. The question now is how."

When Trump stopped planes en route to Tiran in retaliation for the Be'er Sheva attack that killed four Israelis after the ceasefire during the 12 day war between Israel and Iran, the aim was to strike numerous high quality regime targets. But that was then. "The situation has now completely changed”.

If Trump looks at the target bank, he could easily paralyze two thirds of the economy in a single blow, but that makes little sense. The goal of economic damage was to drive the masses into the streets. They are already there, so why push them into hunger?

The alternatives are stark. Strike missile program sites. Hit what remains of the nuclear program. Do what Israel did late in the war and target Revolutionary Guard and Basij bases. But Segal called that largely symbolic: "You would need to hit a very significant mass to change reality."

That leaves one leading option. "To do what Trump did to Maduro, but without targeting an ayatollah in training, instead striking and killing him." These are the four options facing the regime. Which will be chosen? "I think we will know within a few days to a week."

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has already answered for Tehran. U.S. troops and Israel are "legitimate targets" if America moves. Bases like Al Udeid in Qatar would likely be hit.

Today, Iranian the Iranian parliament speaker directly confronted President Trump in even more hostile terms. "I say to the delusional and arrogant President of America: we, the nation of Iran, say the same thing to you that our dear Haj Qassem said: We are your adversary," Ghalibaf said. "We are the nation of Imam Hussein. We are waiting. We are the men of the battlefield for you. Come, so you can see all your capabilities in the region destroyed. Know that the defenders of Iran will teach you an unforgettable lesson." Ghalibaf continued with even more threats. "Come and see how we will destroy all your positions in the region. Come and see how defenders of Iran will burn you into America's history. Delusional Trump, do not believe the lies they tell you. Don't believe the lies you're told. Mashhad did not fall. Iran's defenders are present, and Imam Reza is present."

Last night Khamenei himself felt it necessary to threatedn Trump again, uploading an image of Trumo in a coffin, signaling the end of the United States. he wrote:

“That father figure who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the entire world, he too should know that usually the tyrants and oppressors of the world, such as Pharaoh and Nimrod and Reza Khan and Mohammad Reza and the likes of them, when they were at the peak of their pride, were overthrown, This one too will be overthrown.”

In Istanbul, Iranian dissidents tried to hold a solidarity rally near the consulate, backing the protests at home and Reza Pahlavi. Counter demonstrators broke it up, chanting, "I don’t want Zionists in my country and Zionist Shah." Though, as we’ve seen, these pro regime protesters are indeed the minority.

Hamid Dabashi, an Iranian professor at Columbia, told Al Jazeera the uprising is "Israeli led," though he conceded the economic roots are real. A classic “blame Israel” tactic that we see time and time again whenever anybody stands up against Islamism.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi went further, alleging the protests "turned violent and bloody to give an excuse" for Trump to intervene. As if Trump forced the IRGC to use deadly force.

Israel watches all of this with a heightened alert. The Political Security Cabinet meets tomorrow, moved up from Thursday. Netanyahu has told ministers Israel is monitoring closely and foresees partnership with a post regime Iran. Trump and his cabinet will also be meeting tomorrow for a more in depth briefing on the situation. Netanyahu called Marco Rubio on January 10 to discuss U.S. intervention possibilities. Messages went through Putin assuring no preemptive Israeli strike, though miscalculation worries persist. The IDF is using Venezuela's Maduro removal as a springboard for potential strategy style.

Lindsey Graham keeps up the pressure. "As usual Mr. President, you are 100% right. Freedom now, freedom forever for the long-suffering Iranian people. Death to the ayatollah’s regime. Make Iran Great Again."

Parliament passed its budget fix on January 5, raising salaries up to 43 percent, offering $8.8 billion in subsidies….about $7 per person per month against $200 average wages. An economic prop up that is not getting anyone excited.

The internet blackout has been running for a few days, down to 1 percent capacity according to data on NetBlocks. Last night, Starlink was supposedly jammed, cutting all contact completely.

A government that cuts the internet does not feel secure. One that chants "Death to America" in parliament is performing for itself. One that threatens Al Udeid and promises preemption is buying time. The people keep coming back. They burn symbols, chant for Pahlavi or regime change, face live rounds. Phone cameras wait for the signal to upload what they have seen. Segal is right about one thing: Israel won't learn of an American attack from the news. But the protesters, when the lights come back on, will show the world what Tehran tried to hide.

In the end, regimes fall not from perfect storms but from the accumulation of their own failures. Iran's leaders know this history. They built their system on it. Now they live to see it play out.

To most observers, Donald Trump's renewed drive to acquire Greenland feels baffling. Why would the United States target territory controlled by Denmark, a steadfast NATO ally? The island, an autonomous Danish territory covering 836,300 square miles with just 57,000 residents, mostly huddled along ice-free coasts, has suddenly become an "absolute necessity" for American national security. Trump frames it as the only way to block Russia and China from dominating the Arctic's resources and strategic routes. Yet the move risks fracturing alliances in pursuit of that edge.

Trump's interest dates back to 2019, when he first called it a "large real estate deal." Historical U.S. bids stretch to the 1860s and a formal 1946 offer to Denmark. The idea roared back in late 2024. On December 23, Trump declared U.S. ownership essential for security. By January 6, 2026, in his second term, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt named it a top priority to counter Arctic rivals. Trump escalated on January 9, insisting America must "own" Greenland to stop Russia or China, brushing off Denmark's sovereignty as outdated.

As of today, negotiations run through Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Danish and Greenlandic officials.
Reports swirl of U.S. military planners drafting invasion scenarios, overseen by Stephen Miller. Trump stated flatly yesterday: "One way or another, we’re going to have Greenland."

Trump's case rests on hard geopolitics. Greenland hosts Thule Air Base under a 1951 U.S./Denmark defense treaty, a key asset for missile warning and polar operations.
Trump has ridiculed Greenland's defenses as feeble and ordered plans to secure it before rivals move in. Without U.S. control, he warns, Moscow or Beijing could seize the advantage. The Arctic melts open new shipping lanes and vast rare earth minerals, a $7.6 billion global market where China holds 69 percent dominance.
Trump pitches $1-2 billion in annual U.S. investment, dwarfing Denmark's $500 million yearly subsidy, to bring jobs and prosperity.

Greenland's scale dwarfs even the Louisiana Purchase in potential. Fully 80 percent ice covered, it offers economic leverage and a bulwark in America's "America First" playbook. VP JD Vance urges Europeans to take Trump seriously. Sen. Eric Schmitt argues Denmark cannot fend off China or Russia near its shores. This is exactly what all the noise is about. 

Denmark rejects the idea outright, as it has since 2019: "not for sale," echoed by a Danish MP who vowed no handover "under any circumstances." A 1952 Danish law mandates immediate military engagement against any invaders in Greenland.
Greenland's Premier Múte Egede prioritizes independence or Danish ties over sale, though polls show mixed views amid economic lures.

The UK and Germany eye NATO deployments to Greenland, per early talks reported by The Telegraph, blending Arctic defense with deterrence against Trump. Even they see the weak defenses in Greenland and hope that NATO presence might soften Trump.

Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni calls for a robust NATO presence but doubts Trump will actually invade,, warning of severe alliance damage.

On camera, Sweden's PM Ulf Kristersson reminded Washington of Denmark's sacrifices…including over 50 soldiers lost in Afghanistan and Iraq.
French General Nicolas Richoux took it much further, saying that if the U.S. does indeed invade, they should fight them and turn America into the villains of the story.

No deal exists as of today. Trump's blend of threats, negotiation, and planning has NATO allies scrambling defenses while sharpening focus on Arctic stakes.
The island's fate hangs on whether diplomacy bends or old treaties break.