Western Leaders Crank Up Pressure On Iran Amid Crackdown On Protesters
Iran has entered a 14th night of protests as authorities seemed to be intensifying their crackdown and Western leaders -- including US President Donald Trump -- stepped up pressure on Tehran.
Speaking at a meeting with oil and gas executives at the White House on January 9, Trump said that "Iran is in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago."
"We're watching the situation very carefully. I've made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts. That does not mean boots on the ground, but it does mean hitting them very, very hard where it hurts."
This was followed up by a short post on X by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 10, stating that the United States “supports the brave people of Iran.”
The protests, which began on Tehran's Grand Bazaar on December 28, quickly snowballed, spreading to dozens of towns and cities.
By the evening of January 8, videos poured in from nearly every corner of the country showing huge crowds chanting and marching.
Authorities first throttled nationwide Internet speeds before enforcing a near-total blackout at 10:15 p.m. local time on January 8, severing phone lines too.
With the blackout now lasting more than 40 hours there is no precise information about the number of people killed, injured, or detained across the country with widespread fears that the cut is being used to hide state violence against protesters.
Amnesty International released a statement on January saying that it was investigating "distressing reports that security forces have intensified their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters" which has “led to further deaths and injuries.”
There have also been media reports, including by AFP, that hundreds of people had been taken to a Tehran hospital with “severe eye injuries” caused by pellet gun fire.
The Human Rights News Agency (HRANA), which covers human rights-related news, has reported that at least 2,311 people were arrested in the first 13 days of the protests and that demonstrations were reported in 512 locations across 180 towns and cities amid a near-total Internet shutdown. Additionally, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights has said that 51 protesters have been killed as of January 9.
In a joint statement issued on January 9, the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom expressed “deep concern about reports of violence by Iranian security forces, and strongly condemn the killing of protestors.”
The text also added that the Internet blackout "has sparked fears among activists that authorities are now violently cracking down on the protests, with less chance the proof will reach the outside world."
An EU statement issued on the same day also called for “the right of access to information, including by restoring access to the Internet for all” while expressing “solidarity with the Iranian people as they voice their legitimate aspiration for a better life, freedom and dignity.”
Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose father -- Iran's last shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi -- was ousted by the Islamic Revolution in 1979, issued a message of support on social media for the protesters, telling them that they have “won the admiration of the world with your courage and steadfastness” while announcing that he was planning to return to Iran in the near future.
Protesters came out in force on January 8 and January 9 night following calls by Reza Pahlavi for sustained street demonstrations.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed supporters of the regime on January 9, saying that "saboteurs, agitators" had "destroyed the country's buildings to please" President Trump.
He added that Trump has the "blood of Iranians on his hands" following US strikes on Iran in June, and that the US leader would be "overthrown."
The Iranian army later issued a statement announcing it would join other armed forces to "guard and protect the country's strategic infrastructure and public property" during the protests.
Separately, the authorities said several members of the security forces have been killed as state TV broadcast images on January 10 of funerals of security officers allegedly killed in the protests, including a large gathering in the southern city of Shiraz.
Japanese Vessel Safely Passes Strait of Hormuz
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has confirmed that a Japanese-linked vessel that had been stranded in the Persian Gulf safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz on April 29 and is heading to Japan with three Japanese crew members on board.
In a post on X published on April 29, she also emphasized the importance of quickly restoring free and safe navigation through the strait for vessels of all countries, including Japan, and said she had conveyed this position to Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian.
"The Government of Japan considers this passage of a Japan-related vessel as a positive development," Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement.
Iran has restricted commercial shipping from transiting through the strait, while the United States has enforced a naval blockade on all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. This has led to sharply reduced traffic and ongoing disruptions to global oil flows.
US Flags Sanctions Risk Over China "Teapot" Refineries
- By RFE/RL
The US Treasury Department has warned that China-based independent "teapot" refineries, especially in Shandong Province, pose sanctions risks due to their role in importing Iranian crude oil.
According to the Treasury, China buys about 90 percent of Iran's oil exports, much of it processed by these smaller refineries, generating revenue for Tehran.
"This revenue ultimately benefits the Iranian regime, its weapons programs, and its military," the Treasury statement said.
The United States has intensified economic pressure on Iran by targeting the country’s international shadow banking infrastructure, shadow shipping fleet, and Chinese "teapot" refineries that support Tehran’s oil trade, as part of the administration’s "maximum pressure" campaign, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X.
Bessent stated that Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, is nearing storage capacity, a situation that could force Tehran to reduce oil production. He added that this could cost the country around $170 million per day in lost revenue and potentially cause "permanent damage to Iran's oil infrastructure."
"Treasury will continue to exert maximum pressure and any person, vessel, or entity facilitating illicit flows to Tehran risks exposure to U.S. sanctions," Bessent wrote on X.
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
US Hits Iran's 'Shadow Banking' Network With New Sanctions
The US has announced new sanctions targeting 35 entities and individuals tied to Iran's covert financial network.
Announcing the move, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that Iran's shadow banking operations have "enabled the transfer of tens of billions of dollars to evade sanctions."
The United States maintains a comprehensive sanctions regime against Iran, including a near-total trade embargo for US persons, frozen Iranian assets, bans on dealings with the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and secondary sanctions that punish foreign companies for engaging in Iran’s oil, petrochemical, shipping, finance, and weapons sectors.
Under the current “maximum pressure” campaign, the US has added hundreds of new designations since 2025 targeting shadow fleets, illicit financial networks, and proliferation activities.
Pigott said that the newly targeted shadow banking network had enabled Iranian forces such as the IRGC "to illicitly access the international financial system to obtain proceeds from illicit oil sales, acquire sensitive components for missiles and other weapons systems, and fund Iran's terrorist proxy groups throughout the Middle East."
Dismantling these channels, Pigott said, would advance the Trump administration’s policy in the conflict with Iran and continue to impose "maximum pressure" on the Islamic republic.
In a post on X, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that funds funneled through this shadow banking system "support the regime’s ongoing terrorist operations, posing a direct threat to US personnel, regional allies, and the global economy."
Britain Summons Iranian Ambassador Over Social Media Posts
Britain announced on April 28 that it had summoned Iran's ambassador to London following what it described as "unacceptable and inflammatory comments on social media.”
The British Foreign Office said in a statement that Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer had stressed that the Iranian embassy "must cease any form of communications that could be interpreted as encouraging violence in the UK or internationally."
Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment after the British announcement, Reuters reported.
In a post on the Telegram channel of the Iranian Embassy in London earlier this month, Iranians living in the UK were asked to volunteer for the "Jan Feda" campaign, in which they would declare their readiness to sacrifice their lives in a war with the US and Israel.
The Foreign Office did not specify which of the embassy's social media posts it was referring to. British MPs have previously warned of “significant and widespread threats” from Iran against the UK.
Britain also summoned Iran's ambassador last month after an Iranian citizen and a British-Iranian dual national were charged under the UK's National Security Act for allegedly assisting Iran’s intelligence services.
European Parliament's Iran Delegation Head Demands Release Of Political Prisoners
The chair of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Iran has called for the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, Narges Mohammadi, and other political prisoners in Iran.
Referring to recent talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, Hannah Neumann posted on X on April 28: “We demand #NasrinSotoudeh’s immediate release. No deal unless the Iranian regime opens the internet, #StopExecutionsInIran and releases all #politicalprisoners!.”
She also spoke to the European Parliament.
Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist, was arrested at her home in Tehran on the evening of April 1 without being charged.
Meanwhile, concerns have grown about Mohammadi's health in prison and reports that the Nobel Peace Prize winner is being denied access to proper medical care.
Chinese Leadership Pledges To Prioritize Energy Security In Wake Of Iran War
In a meeting held on April 28, China’s leadership laid out plans to strengthen the economy by prioritizing energy security and technology self-sufficiency in the wake of the Iran war.
Beijing’s highest decision-making body, the Politburo, pledged to “systemically respond” to external challenges and “counter various uncertainties,” according to a readout published in Xinhua, a prominent Chinese news outlet.
Beijing has been comparatively resilient to the effects of the war in Iran, largely due to oil stockpiles and a focus on renewable energy. The extended blockade, however, of the Strait of Hormuz is starting to take effect.
A 5 percent growth figure for the first quarter shows that China has weathered the worst of the energy shock, but the economy has still been affected by the crisis. Export growth slowed to 2.5 percent in March, down from 21.8 percent between January and February.
Speaking to Reuters on April 28, Zhang Zhiwei, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said that Beijing’s economic momentum “will likely slow in the second quarter due to the uncertain external environment and high energy prices."
Trump Says Iran Wants The US To Open The Strait Of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has said that Iran has asked the US to open the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on his TruthSocial network, Trump said that Iran had "informed us that they are in a 'State of Collapse'" and wanted the US to open the strait "as soon as possible."
Iran has restricted commercial shipping from transiting through the strait, while the United States has enforced a naval blockade on all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. This has led to sharply reduced traffic and ongoing disruptions to global oil flows.
Trump said Iran wanted the strait opened “as they try to figure out their leadership situation,” although it remains unclear exactly what he was referring to.
After Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli attack, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly appointed, although he has not yet been seen in public, with some speculation that he was also injured in air strikes.
There are divisions in Iran between various political groups about whether to negotiate with the US.
Trump has said before that Iran wants the Strait of Hormuz open. In a April 22 TruthSocial post, Trump said that Iran wanted the strait open immediately as the country was "collapsing financially."
Beijing Pushes Back As US Sanctions Chinese Oil Refinery Over Iran Links
Beijing has pushed back on a US decision to sanction the Hengli oil refinery, rejecting Washington's accusations that the company "plays an outsized role" in buying Iranian oil.
The US Treasury Department last week sanctioned the Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, based in China's northeastern Liaoning Province, for having "purchased billions of dollars' worth" of Iranian petroleum.
Washington accuses Hengli of playing an instrumental role in sustaining Iran's oil economy since US and Israeli air strikes on Iran sparked a war that has spread through the Middle East. Hengli is China's second-largest "teapot" refinery -- the name for independent Chinese oil refineries -- and plays "an outsized role in purchasing crude oil from Iran's armed forces," according to the Treasury Department.
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Oil Prices Rise For Seventh Consecutive Day
Oil prices continued their upward trend on April 28.
As uncertainties persist over whether Iran and the United States will reach an agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the price of Brent crude oil for June delivery rose in European markets on the morning of April 28, rising almost 3 percent to exceed $111 per barrel.
Oil prices rose for the seventh consecutive day on global markets, while stocks fell in many Asian financial markets on April 28.
The failure of Iran-US talks after the cease-fire and increasing concerns about the long-term economic impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on the global economy have led to increased speculation about changes in central bank policy in various countries.
This policy change takes the form of an interest rate increase to counter the inflationary effects of recent developments.
