Iran, Israel And The United States All Say That They Are Ready For War
By Michael Snyder/End of the American Dream January 08, 2026
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Things are getting very tense in the Middle East. The Islamic radicals that are ruling Iran believe that the United States and Israel intend to use the mass protests that have been going on for nearly two weeks to try to overthrow their regime. If Ayatollah Khamenei and his top advisers reach a point where they are convinced that the Iranian government could actually fall, there is no telling what they might decide to do.
Meanwhile, President Trump has declared that the U.S. is ready to take military action if the Iranians continue to kill more protesters, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that there will be "very severe" consequences for Iran if Israel is attacked. If either Khamenei, Trump or Netanyahu pulls the trigger, the Middle East will erupt in flames.
The mass protests in Iran keep growing, and on Wednesday there were reports of "security forces retreating in the face of fearless, unarmed crowds" in some cities...
On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the nationwide uprising in Iran entered its eleventh consecutive day, marking a significant escalation in the struggle against the ruling dictatorship. As the sun set on Wednesday, the regime's suppression apparatus appeared overstretched, with reports emerging from multiple provinces of security forces retreating in the face of fearless, unarmed crowds.
You would think that the security forces should have the upper hand since they are armed.
But when security forces are vastly outnumbered by enormous throngs of protesters, the crowds could rush the security forces and pummel them to death.
So in several western Iranian cities, security forces have been forced to pull back...
While the strikes squeezed the regime economically, the streets witnessed a shifting balance of power. In several cities, the sheer density of the crowds forced heavily armed security forces to abandon their positions.
In Abadan, southwest Iran, security units fled their posts after failing to disperse demonstrators with tear gas. In Bojnurd, the crowds were reportedly so massive that security agents retreated to rooftops to avoid being overrun. A similar scene unfolded in Borujerd, western Iran, where youths armed only with stones clashed with Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) forces, compelling the agents to retreat into their bases.
Of course there have been other instances where Iranian security forces have opened fire with live ammunition.
But even though there have been fatalities, the protesters are not backing down...
However, the regime's response in other areas was lethal. In Lordegan, within the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, security forces opened fire with live ammunition. Despite the use of deadly force, the residents did not disperse. The fierce clashes resulted in casualties on both sides; reports indicate that four regime agents were killed during the confrontation. The IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency confirmed the intensity of the fighting, admitting that two police officers were killed, 30 were injured, and both the governor's office and several administrative buildings sustained damage.
In Shiraz, the urban landscape was transformed into a zone of resistance. As authorities deployed water cannons to clear the streets, protesters countered by constructing barricades. Footage from the city showed a truck dumping a load of stones onto the street to assist youths in reinforcing their defensive lines against plainclothes agents and suppressive units.
The death toll is rising with each passing day.
According to CBS News, at least 36 people have died so far...
At least 36 people have been killed amid major anti-government demonstrations across Iran, a U.S.-based rights group says. The Iranian government is trying to quell the unrest, and reacted angrily to President Trump's veiled threat of a U.S. armed intervention.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, which gave the death toll based on its network of contacts in the country, said in its daily report on Tuesday that at least 36 people "have been confirmed killed during the past ten days of protests. Among them were four individuals under the age of 18, as well as two members of security and law enforcement forces."
Personally, I believe that the true death toll is far higher.
But in any event, everyone agrees that protesters are dying.
On Sunday, President Trump once again warned that the U.S. is ready to hit Iran "very hard" if they keep killing protesters...
"We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States," Trump told reporters on Sunday.
By now, it has become clear that Trump is not bluffing when he says stuff like this.
And many members of Congress are cheering him on.
For example, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham just told Fox News that Trump will kill Ayatollah Khamenei if protesters continue to die...
US Senator Lindsey Graham warned that if Iran's security forces continue killing protesters, President Donald Trump would order the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday.
Graham delivered the warning in a Fox News interview, addressing Iran's clerical leadership and urging an end to the crackdown. His comments came as nationwide demonstrations entered their eleventh day.
Graham said Tehran's leadership should "take Trump seriously," asserting that continued lethal force against demonstrators would invite direct retaliation at the highest levels.
I don't doubt it.
If the Iranians keep firing live ammunition at protesters, I do think that Trump will try to take Khamenei out.
And once Trump decides to move, it can happen very suddenly.
At this hour, Iranian forces are on the highest level of alert...
Iran's armed forces have been placed at the highest level of readiness, with hundreds of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and regular army units on full alert in response to perceived threats from the United States and Israel, state media reported.
The Iranians clearly remember what happened last year, and they do not intend to be caught by surprise again.
On Wednesday, the head of Iran's military issued a threat that was quite ominous...
Iran's military chief warned Wednesday that Iran will not stand by and allow itself to be threatened by outside powers, after the United States and Israel backed anti-government protests.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the Iranian nation a threat and will not tolerate its continuation without responding," General Amir Hatami said, according to the Fars news agency.
Exactly what did he mean by that?
Was he suggesting that Iran could conduct a preemptive attack simply based on "hostile rhetoric"?
The day before, Iran's Defense Council also brought up the possibility of preemptive action...
Iran's newly formed Defense Council warned on Tuesday that the country could respond before an attack if it detected clear signs of a threat, a stance that implicitly raised the possibility of preemptive action amid rising tensions with the United States and Israel.
In a statement carried by state media, the council said allegations and interventionist remarks directed at Iran could be treated as hostile acts if they went beyond rhetoric.
It said Iran's security, independence and territorial integrity constituted a red line that cannot be crossed, and warned that continued hostile behavior would prompt a response, with full responsibility for the consequences resting with those behind it.
If Iran were to engage in some sort of a preemptive strike, Israel would likely be targeted.
The Israelis clearly realize this, and Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that in such a scenario "the consequences for Iran will be very severe"...
Referring to recent Iranian military exercises, Netanyahu added: "I made it clear that if we are attacked, the consequences for Iran will be very severe."
It certainly feels like something is coming.
Have the Iranians given the Russians advance warning? If Iran feels an attack is inevitable they might strike first before their air defenses and missiles are taken out. It is being reported that the Russians are "urgently" evacuating their diplomatic personnel from Israel right now...
Russia is urgently evacuating diplomatic personnel and their families from Israel, having organized three flights in the last 24 hours. The evacuation is taking place at an accelerated pace, indicating the presence of "important information."
An evacuation of this nature certainly suggests something is up and at the very least Russia feels precautions have reached the danger zone where their personnel are at risk.
If other nations start evacuating their embassies in Israel and Iran, that will be a major red flag.
Once Israel and Iran start going at it again, it will be a battle for all the marbles.
So let's hope that cooler heads prevail.
Unfortunately, I don't think that is going to happen.
I think that events are moving us in a very particular direction, and the whole world is going to be shocked by what is coming next.
Originally published at End Of The American Dream
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