Tensions Rise as Iran Warns of Regional War Amid US Threats
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Sunday that any attack by the United States would ignite a "regional war" in the Middle East, further escalating tensions as President Donald Trump has threatened military action against the Islamic Republic, according to the Associated Press (NPR News). Khamenei's comments, the most direct threat he has made to date, come as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is stationed in the region (NPR News).
President Trump's foreign policy decisions have been under scrutiny, with some observers suggesting he is attempting to shape a new world order (Vox). Recent weeks have seen US action in Venezuela, threats to Greenland, Europe, and Iran, and Trump's open solicitation of a Nobel Peace Prize (Vox). Trump's latest global initiative is the Board of Peace, a new body with a billion-dollar lifetime membership fee, which has been labeled as a minor attempt to replace the United Nations (Vox).
Domestically, the Trump administration faced widespread protests on Friday against its immigration policies (Time). Demonstrations erupted in cities across the U.S. following the killings of two people by federal agents during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Time). Organizers called for a national shutdown day, urging people to abstain from school, work, and shopping (Time). In Minneapolis, leaders have described the federal immigration enforcement officers' presence as an "invasion" during Operation Metro Surge (Time).
Meanwhile, the nation is also grappling with severe weather conditions (Time). A winter storm traveling across the southern United States threatened to bring snow to parts of Florida's Gulf Coast for the first time in a decade and may develop into a "bomb cyclone," a weather event characterized by a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure over a short period (Time). By Saturday, approximately 240 million people were under cold weather advisories, and nearly 200,000 customers were without power, primarily in Tennessee and Mississippi (Time).
In other news, the conservative movement is navigating a new landscape following the death of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA (Vox). Kirk, who aimed to counter liberal indoctrination in universities, was fatally shot on a Utah college campus in September, prompting an outpouring of grief among conservatives and a threat from President Trump to crack down on the radical left (Vox). Some of Kirk's followers are reportedly drifting toward Nick Fuentes, his former rival (Vox).
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