Tensions between US and Iran escalate

The United States has sent what President Donald Trump has described as an armada of naval and military assets into the Middle East, placing American forces on heightened alert as tensions with Iran escalate. The move comes as protests spread across Iran, internet access is cut for millions, and a sharp exchange of threats and warnings unfolds between Washington and Tehran on social media and through diplomatic channels.

Iranian protesters block a street and set a fire during a demonstration in Shiraz, Iran, on January 9, 2026. The nationwide demonstrations, triggered in late December by anger over economic hardship in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, spread across cities with slogans turning from economic grievances to political and anti-government calls. The protests, met by a violent crackdown rights groups say killed thousands, were further shrouded by an internet blackout and severe restrictions on information, limiting reliable accounts of the crackdown. Photo by Maria/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM. Source: ABACA / Middle East Images/ABACA/PA