Plainclothes Iranian security forces have reportedly detained thousands in a sweeping campaign of arrests and intimidation aimed at preventing renewed protests following the deadliest unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, sources told Reuters.

United Kingdom 🇬🇧 / China 🇨🇳: AstraZeneca will invest $15 billion in China.

FREE BEACON: In 2025, the Palestinian Authority disbursed more than $200 million to militants through its so-called “pay-for-slay” stipend program, despite repeated promises by President Mahmoud Abbas to dismantle the scheme.

EU foreign ministers have approved a new round of sanctions on Iran at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, targeting around 30 individuals and entities for their role in violently suppressing protests—resulting in thousands killed or arrested—and for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine through drones and missiles. The measures include asset freezes and travel bans. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said, “Iran’s security forces are responsible for mass killings. Today, we are imposing new sanctions… and I also expect that we will designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. If you act like a terrorist, you should be treated as one.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he will never seek elected office again, stating unequivocally, “Never again.”

Iranian Parliament Deputy Speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei warned that any U.S. strike would lead to sustained attacks on American aircraft carriers “until they are finished,” claiming they would not be able to withstand Iranian assaults.

Iran has issued a maritime warning, broadcasting via channels such as VHF radio, announcing plans to conduct live-fire naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and Monday, February 1–2.

Vladimir Putin said that the creation of a fully fledged Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel is essential, stating that it would help achieve a long-term resolution to the conflict and ensure lasting stability in the region.

Putin highlighted strengthening trade relations with the United Arab Emirates, calling the UAE a key commercial partner in the Arab world and noting that bilateral trade continues to grow steadily.

Newly released video shows a man driving his vehicle into the entrance of the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. The driver is seen exiting the vehicle and being taken into custody. No injuries have been reported at this time. View quoted note →

Democrats are increasingly worried that President Donald Trump could invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops in U.S. cities and have been preparing for that possibility, sources tell Axios.

🚨A person has rammed a vehicle into the entrance of the Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York, according to COLlive.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that she intends to return to Venezuela as soon as possible. “I’ve told the secretary of state that I want to go back to my country as soon as I can,” Machado said. “There are important meetings and agreements we’re working on abroad, and once those are completed, my goal is to return.”

U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a significant new military strike against Iran that could target the country’s leadership and security officials, along with nuclear facilities and key government institutions, according to sources cited by CNN.

Local media reports gunfire heard near Diori Hamani International Airport serving capital city of Niamey, Niger.

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced the immediate enforcement of directives under Presidential Decree No. 13, issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, granting Syrian citizenship and full rights to Kurds in northeastern Syria that had been denied under the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Ukrainian media report that a Russian Air Force Su-34 fighter-bomber was shot down by Ukrainian forces over the Black Sea today. The aircraft reportedly crashed off the coast of Odesa Oblast, killing both crew members on board. View quoted note →

Russian forces have reportedly lost a Su-34 fighter-bomber.

Senator Lindsey Graham: “Trump is Reagan plus. He’s a man of peace, but not someone to be taken lightly. So what did he say to the protesters? Keep protesting—help is on the way. I hope he can find a deal to end the bloodshed in Iran. But Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and has likely killed around 30,000 of its own people. When Donald Trump makes a promise, he delivers. And to the Iranian people, President Trump has your back.”

Secretary Rubio on Venezuela: “You can hold elections endlessly, but if the opposition has no access to the media and opposition candidates aren’t even allowed on the ballot, those elections are neither free nor fair. Our goal is a Venezuela that is free, fair, prosperous, and friendly. That won’t happen in three weeks—it’s going to take time.”