Overview

• The U.S. administration told the Israeli prime minister last week that Phase Two of the peace plan would commence even though Hamas has not been dismantled and the remains of the last deceased hostage has not been returned.

• Iranian protesters have become markedly bolder, as evidenced by documented confrontations that include assaults on Basij members, localized exchanges of gunfire, Molotov cocktail attacks, arson against government buildings.

• President Trump issued a direct and unusually explicit warning to the Iranian regime, stating that the United States would “hit Iran very, very hard where it hurts” if the Islamic Republic kills protesters.

• The regime was concentrating IRGC brigades in preparation for coordinated attacks on cities, with the main force buildup focused in western Iran against Kurdish-populated regions.

• Hamas is estimated to be holding between 400 million and 1 billion shekels ($125M-300M) in cash inside the tunnel systems. The organization is using the ceasefire to rebuild its financial reserves through “taxation”.

• A hotline mechanism was reported as being established by the US to prevent escalations between Israel, Syria, and Jordan.

Iran

Protests

Burning of a mosque in Teheran| Source: Various X Posts

• On January 8, the protests in Iran reached a new peak, with 156 demonstrations across 28 of the country’s…