The President's Daily Brief PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 12th, 2026: Iran Slaughters Protesters & Hamas Signals Exit
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Jan 12, 2026 In Iran, state violence against protesters escalates as the government enforces a nationwide internet blackout, hiding the crisis's true scale. Eyewitness accounts detail horrific scenes of snipers and overwhelmed hospitals. Meanwhile, Hamas hints at dissolving its governing authority in Gaza under a proposed U.S. plan, although critical questions about disarmament and enforcement remain unanswered. The situation is tense, with a fragile ceasefire that exists only on paper, leaving the future uncertain.
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Regime Uses Blackout To Conceal Mass Crackdown
- Iran's regime is using organized, lethal force and an internet blackout to conceal a large-scale crackdown on protesters.
- The blackout appears intended to buy time to complete the repression before independent verification emerges.
Evidence Points To Deliberate Lethal Tactics
- Eyewitnesses report hospitals overwhelmed, snipers, drone surveillance, and protesters shot in the head, indicating deliberate lethal tactics.
- Human rights groups estimate casualties from hundreds to thousands, but independent verification is hindered by the blackout.
U.S. Considering Contingency Military Options
- President Trump publicly set a red line against mass violence and is now weighing contingency military options.
- U.S. officials are planning contingencies, but any use of force would be the president's decision.