Oil companies seeking to take part in renewed Venezuelan crude exports to the U.S. after the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro are holding urgent talks to secure tankers and organize operations to safely transfer oil from ships and aging Venezuelan ports, according to four sources familiar with the matter. — Reuters

Guy Moon, the composer known for his work on The Fairly OddParents, 2 Stupid Dogs, Cow and Chicken, Ned’s Declassified, Big Time Rush, Back at the Barnyard, and other shows, was killed in a traffic collision Thursday morning, according to a statement.

Footage from Kahrizak, south of Tehran, shows more than two dozen full body bags at a collection point, which sources claim contain protesters killed by security forces over the past two nights. Sources on the ground report that at least 200 people have been killed in Tehran alone.

Conservative estimates from Iran International claim that upward of 2,000 protesters have been killed over the last two days in Iran.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released footage showing mission preparations at airbases across the Middle East, along with airstrikes on Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria. The strikes mark the second round conducted under last month’s Operation Hawkeye Strike.

Several government offices and other buildings burn tonight in the Nezam Abad Neighborhood of Central Tehran, set ablaze by crowds of anti-government protesters estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands across the capital of Iran.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has told Reuters ⁠that additional U.S. sanctions on Venezuela could be lifted as soon as next week to facilitate oil sales, and that he will also meet next week with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on their re-engagement with Venezuela.

An Iranian doctor in Neyshabur told CNN in an audio message that Iranian authorities used "military rifles" to kill at least 30 people there yesterday, including children, saying a 5-year-old was shot while being held by their mother.

The BBC reports that the situation in Iran is rapidly deteriorating as anti-government protests intensify into open riots in multiple cities. Security forces have been using less-than-lethal munitions and, in some cases, live ammunition against demonstrators, particularly in Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tehran. One Iranian doctor, who contacted the BBC via Starlink satellite internet on Friday night, said Tehran’s Farabi Hospital — the country’s main eye specialty center — has entered crisis mode. Emergency services are reportedly overwhelmed, non-urgent admissions and surgeries have been suspended, and staff have been called in to handle a surge of emergency cases. The BBC also obtained video and audio messages from a medic at a hospital in the southwestern city of Shiraz. The medic said large numbers of injured protesters were being brought in and that the hospital lacks enough surgeons to manage the influx. He claimed many of the wounded suffered gunshot injuries to the head and eyes.

Anti-government protesters block major roadways and intersections tonight in the high-class luxury neighborhood of Punak in Northern Tehran, with crowd estimates of between 100-200,000.

Massive crowds of anti-government protesters seen marching and demonstrating tonight in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) addressed the Iranian people, saying their “long nightmare” is nearing an end and praising protesters for their bravery. Graham said President Donald Trump has taken notice of the demonstrations, arguing that Iran “will never be great” under the ayatollah and expressing support for those opposing the current leadership. He concluded by telling protesters that “help is on the way.”

It appears the crew of the Bella 1 oil tanker, after switching its flag to Russia, sent someone over the stern while fleeing U.S. forces to paint a new name onto the hull in a Lord of War–style maneuver.

🚨Trump administration officials have held preliminary discussions about a potential attack on Iran, including possible target sites and an option for a large-scale aerial strike on Iranian military targets, U.S. officials say. — WSJ

🚨U.S. forces are conducting strikes against ISIS targets in Syria, a U.S. official says. — Reuters

Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon is preparing the groundwork for a potential 2028 presidential run, according to two people familiar with his thinking.

Several thousand protesters gathered at the Iranian Embassy in London, with some climbing the building as one individual was seen removing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s flag and replacing it with the Lion and Sun flag associated with Iran’s pre-1979 imperial era.

Footage purported to show anti-government demonstrations continuing tonight in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Odds on Polymarket that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will no longer be Iran’s Supreme Leader by January 31 have surged over the past 24 hours, climbing to 20% amid a sharp escalation in anti-government protests nationwide.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is calling for a one year cap on credit card interest rates of 10%, effective January 20.