January 10, 2026, 07:46 AM
sourdough44The Iran War
Just FYI, I’m in Germany now, just back to the room. There is/was a VERY large anti mullah demonstration on the street just now, totally messing up traffic. The signage was heavily against the current leadership in Iran.
I half expected to see some pro Trump hats, didn’t catch any. Maybe this is the one that will get over the top? Topple the current government?
January 10, 2026, 11:50 AM
6guns https://www.newsmax.com/newsfr...dkt_nbr=0101022v09nqRubio: 'Don't Play Games' With Trump
The State Department posted a new video on X late Friday featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivering a stern warning to America's adversaries — and to any government considering whether to test President Donald Trump's resolve.
"Don't play games," Rubio says in the video. "Don't play games while this president's in office because it's not going to turn out well."
"The 47th president of the United States is not a game player," he added. "When he tells you that he's going to do something, when he tells you he's going to address a problem, he means it."
The post comes as the Trump White House highlights the recent U.S. military action in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
The State Department's video features a montage of clips tied to the Venezuela operation, intercut with footage of Rubio, Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressing the situation in media appearances.
"This is a president of action," Rubio says. "Like I don't understand yet how they haven't figured this out. And now, if you don't know, now you know."
At the same time, the White House is escalating its rhetoric toward Tehran amid continuing protests in Iran and as leaders there threaten harsh punishment for demonstrators.
On Friday, Trump warned Iran's leaders not to respond violently to protesters, saying the United States is watching closely and will respond if the regime begins shooting civilians.
"You better not start shooting," Trump said at a meeting of cabinet officials and oil executives. "Because we'll start shooting, too," he added, according to a Reuters report.
Trump also told attendees he had seen reports that protesters have even named a street after him.
"God bless them," he said, while expressing concern for their safety, calling Iran "a very dangerous place right now."
Trump issued another warning on Sunday, saying Iran would get "hit very hard" by the United States if protesters are killed as demonstrations enter a second week.
He has also said on Truth Social that if Iran "violently kills peaceful protesters," the U.S. "will come to their rescue," adding that America is "locked and loaded."
Protests sweeping across Iran neared the two-week mark Saturday, with the country's government acknowledging the ongoing demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown and as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has become more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 65 people killed and more than 2,300 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings.
Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with Iran's attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an "enemy of God," a death-penalty charge.
January 10, 2026, 04:30 PM
ScreamingCockatooYou notice the left are having NOTHING to do with Iran.
All because the people that are about to be removed were the Death To America people.
January 10, 2026, 09:06 PM
corsairIts getting close, they're desperate....
January 10, 2026, 09:29 PM
sigmonkey"Reports: At least 2,000 protesters killed in Iran in 48 hours"
(Arutz Sheva/Israel National News)
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420699January 10, 2026, 09:48 PM
wrightdDidn't mass murder and executions precede the last turnover ? How did that situation compare to the current one, and does that comparison inform us about the current situation. I haven't heard of any police or military turning against the established powers and supporting the protesters and uprising yet, if that is the next kingpin among others that need to fall. History is a great teacher but I never learned applied myself to it.
January 10, 2026, 10:51 PM
GustoferSeeing on Twitter that they are burning down mosques all over Iran. Now it's becoming clear why this revolution is receiving almost zero coverage by the main stream media.
January 10, 2026, 11:17 PM
SevenPlusOnequote:
Originally posted by Gustofer:
Seeing on Twitter that they are burning down mosques all over Iran. Now it's becoming clear why this revolution is receiving almost zero coverage by the main stream media.
It must be those crazy Zoroastrians.
January 11, 2026, 08:16 AM
PGTPost from a guy on LinkedIn
quote:
I spent three years of my life staring at the Iranian Threat Network while in uniform. What is occurring now in Mashhad, Esfahan, Qom, Kish - let alone Tehran - is tough to comprehend. The level of civil unrest is staggering, not by virtue of sheer numbers of Iranians in the street, but because of where it is occurring. Iran overextended their resources in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, they doubled their support to Russia, and they were absolutely incapable of controlling their airspace for 12 days in
2025. Oh, and their heavily subsidized economy is untenable.
Now, they lost the ability to use Venezuela as a platform in the Western Hemisphere.
Quietly, so as not to spook the herd, the Ayatollah, the Guardian Council and IRGC leadership are all discretely looking to see if their exit strategies are still viable. Most probably are, for now. Although I would imagine that many officials in Tehran are getting texts and outreach from a host of western intelligence officers offering them an alternative, for now. Crazy times.
January 11, 2026, 09:23 AM
wrightdWow,thanks pgt.
January 11, 2026, 09:33 AM
oddballquote:
Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo:
You notice the left are having NOTHING to do with Iran.
All because the people that are about to be removed were the Death To America people.
Yes, citizens in Iran want this:
...while the left want this:
January 11, 2026, 10:19 AM
Rick LeeIs anyone else concerned that Trump is promising we'll get involved if the regime starts killing protestors and, well, they have been killing protestors? What are we going to do about that? Hope the regime falls before we can get involved?
The US has a 100% failure rate when it comes to installing other heads of state. I really hope this revolution succeeds without our intervention.
January 11, 2026, 10:28 AM
braillediverNo- If anything we're helping give the country back to the people of Iran.
Probably a coincidence the protests picked up after Trump captured Maduro?
January 11, 2026, 10:33 AM
nhracecraft^^ No, not concerned at all. I imagine any ‘involvement’ will take the form of punishment delivered from above. We (the US and Israel, especially!) have intel sources/assets in Iran and know where all the key targets are. They will ‘bring the reign’ down with precision targeted strikes if/when deemed necessary. I’d expect we’d be communicating in No Uncertain Terms that ZERO Aircraft will be permitted to leave Iran without our blessing either.
January 11, 2026, 11:06 AM
tatortoddquote:
Originally posted by Rick Lee:
The US has a 100% failure rate when it comes to installing other heads of state. I really hope this revolution succeeds without our intervention.
False.
We arrested Panama's Noriega just like we arrested Venezuela's Maduro. Since then Panama has continuously held uncontested democratic elections, abolished its army, and grown its economy.
We overthrew the communists in Grenada. It's a partial success in that isn't back to communist, but its economy has been up and down as its tourism based (i.e. cyclical) not natural resource based.
The history in the Middle East isn't very good