As US ‘armada’ approaches, Iran warns of dire consequences if attacked

Tehran, Iran – Iranian authorities proceed to pass of superior ramifications successful lawsuit of subject strikes by the United States, arsenic much radical are being arrested successful transportation with deadly protests amid a lingering net blackout.

Tehran’s municipality connected Sunday unveiled a elephantine billboard astatine the Enghelab (Revolution) Square successful the capital’s cardinal area, successful an evident informing to the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln supercarrier and supporting warplanes adjacent Iranian waters.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Anger arsenic MSF agrees to Israel’s ‘unreasonable demands’: What to know
• list 2 of 3Lebanon files UN ailment against Israel’s regular ceasefire violations
• list 3 of 3Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah warns of ‘total war’ if Iran is attacked

The representation showed a bird’s-eye presumption of an craft bearer with destroyed combatant jets connected the platform and humor moving successful the h2o to signifier the US flag.

“If you sow the wind, you volition reap the whirlwind,” work an accompanying connection successful Farsi and English.

Top subject figures connected Monday reiterated Iran’s readiness to prosecute successful different warfare with Israel and the US successful the lawsuit of an onslaught akin to past year’s 12-day conflict, portion the Foreign Ministry promised a “comprehensive and regret-inducing response”.

Speaking to reporters during a quality conference, ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei besides warned “the resulting insecurity volition undoubtedly impact everyone” amid reports determination actors person been directly appealing to US President Donald Trump, who connected Thursday said a US “armada” is heading towards the Gulf.

As the European Union ponders listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arsenic a “terrorist” organisation pursuing a ballot successful the European Parliament, Baghaei said Tehran believes “more prudent European countries should beryllium cautious not to autumn into the trap of the devilish temptations of non-European parties toward specified an action”.

The Iranian establishment’s remaining allies successful the alleged “axis of resistance”, who took nary enactment during June’s war, person besides signalled that they whitethorn this clip onslaught US and Israeli interests if struggle breaks out.

Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the main of the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah successful Iraq, issued a fiery connection connected Monday informing of “total war” successful lawsuit of US aggression. Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem has repeatedly heaped praise connected Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including during a code connected Monday.

The Houthis successful Yemen besides released a video connected Monday that showed US warships and antecedently attacked commercialized vessels, indicating that they could erstwhile again go targets contempt a Gaza ceasefire woody that stopped the attacks.

More protest-linked arrests reported

Meanwhile, judicial and quality authorities proceed to study enactment against “rioters” arsenic the Iranian constitution blames “terrorists” moving successful enactment with the interests of the US and Israel during the nationwide protests that started successful precocious December.

Mohammadreza Rahmani, the caput of the constabulary authorization successful the bluish state of Gilan, announced 99 caller arrests successful a connection connected Sunday.

He alleged that those arrested were engaged successful destroying nationalist spot oregon acted arsenic “leaders” of unrest some connected the streets and connected societal media.

State media said a idiosyncratic “who incited people, particularly the youth”, successful online posts to enactment successful protests was arrested successful Bandar Anzali, besides successful the north.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which says it has confirmed 5,848 deaths during the protests, reported connected Monday that astatine slightest 41,283 radical person besides been arrested crossed the country.

Iranian authorities person not announced immoderate authoritative apprehension numbers, but said past week that astatine slightest 3,117 radical were killed during the protests, including 2,427 described arsenic “innocent” protesters oregon information forces.

Al Jazeera cannot independently verify these figures.

An ‘internet error’ connection is displayed connected an Iranian woman’s laptop arsenic she tries to link to the net to cheque connected her visa status, aft a nationwide net shutdown since January 8, 2026, pursuing Iran’s protests, successful Tehran, Iran, January 25, 2026 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters]

Speaking during a gathering with apical judiciary officials connected Monday, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei reiterated his committedness that “no mercy” volition beryllium shown erstwhile prosecuting protest-related cases.

He besides expressed dismay astatine immoderate calls for negotiations with the US amid what helium called “an all-out warfare and economical blockade” against Iran.

“Some radical represent each avenues for confronting the enemy’s aggression and coercion arsenic blocked and repeatedly prescribe dialog with a treacherous enemy,” helium said.

Monitored net entree for businesspeople

Iranians crossed the state stay afflicted by an unprecedented full net shutdown that has present lasted astir 3 weeks.

A constricted fig of users person been capable to passageway retired utilizing proxies and virtual backstage networks (VPNs), but the authorities proceed to artifact immoderate proxies offering entree to the extracurricular world.

As with erstwhile protests, net entree tin lone beryllium restored done support by the Supreme National Security Council, but the assembly has provided nary timeline for reconnecting Iran’s 90-million-strong population.

In the meantime, the authorities appears to beryllium gearing up to instrumentality its longtime plans to enforce a so-called “tiered internet” that would lone let entree to a constricted fig of permitted individuals and entities.

This week successful Tehran, the authorities acceptable up a tiny bureau to let businesspeople who person recognition from the Iran Chamber of Commerce to summation constricted entree to the internet.

Before being allowed to usage the net for a fewer minutes, they had to motion a signifier that committed them to usage the transportation for “business purposes” only, and emphasised they would beryllium legally prosecuted if they “misuse” the opportunity.

A akin tiny bureau has besides been opened for journalists by the Culture Ministry.

The remainder of the colonisation lone has entree to a section intranet designed to connection immoderate basal services during state-imposed net blackouts, but adjacent that transportation is dilatory and patchy.