00:00Good evening. This is World News. Tonight, uncertainty, escalation and the thin line
00:08between restraint and war dominate the proceedings. From Washington to Tehran,
00:14signals are mixed. Rhetoric is calibrated, but military assets are quietly moving into position.
00:20At the center of it all, one question that refuses to go away. Will the United States
00:25strike Iran, or is this the calm before a far more dangerous storm? We begin with Washington,
00:32where words suggest caution, but actions tell a different story.
00:37Will he or won't he? That's the question hanging over US President Donald Trump
00:42and a possible military strike on Iran. Publicly, Trump has hinted at restraint,
00:47saying he received assurances from, quote, very important sources on the other side,
00:53unquote, that the killings of protesters have stopped in Iran. But behind the scenes,
00:58the Pentagon is repositioning power. A US carrier strike group has been redirected from the South
01:04China Sea to the Central Command Area, which includes West Asia. A move that takes days to
01:11execute and signals intent, not hesitation.
01:15Tensions in the Middle East are spiking to new heights. First, the USS Abraham Lincoln was sent
01:23west from the Indo-Pacific, fully armed with fighter jets, guided missile destroyers,
01:29and an attack submarine. Now, reports suggest a second carrier strike group,
01:35the USS George H.W. Bush, may be crossing the Atlantic toward the region.
01:42Is the U.S. preparing for a major show of force, or something even bigger?
01:47The Bush is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier, homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. It recently
01:55finished a major maintenance period and has been preparing for operations, including carrier
02:01qualifications. If deployed, it could position near Israel or transit the Suez Canal into the Red Sea,
02:08placing it close to Iranian waters. However, as of early January 2026, official sources have not
02:17confirmed this movement, and most tracking reports suggest the ship was still near Norfolk.
02:24Meanwhile, the Abraham Lincoln strike group is already moving toward the Middle East.
02:29Satellite data confirms its journey, which includes fighter jets, guided missile destroyers,
02:35and a stealthy attack submarine. The deployment comes amid mass protests in Iran and reports of the
02:43regime cracking down on civilians. U.S. officials have warned that further killings would have grave
02:50consequences. At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, Trump's envoy Mike Waltz said,
02:58all options are on the table. The U.S. has reportedly received assurances that Tehran will not
03:05execute hundreds of arrested protesters, but Washington continues to issue warnings.
03:11Two carrier strike groups in the region, that's a signal that Washington is prepared for multiple
03:17contingencies. Some analysts warn it could be a deterrent meant to pressure Iran to halt violence.
03:25Others fear it could be a precursor to a military strike, given the timing of domestic unrest and the
03:32presence of highly capable U.S. naval forces. Is the U.S. simply flexing its muscle, or is a major attack
03:40on Iran imminent? One thing is clear, the world is watching, and any misstep could spark a regional
03:47crisis with global consequences. Stay tuned as we track the Abraham Lincoln and George H.W. Bush
03:55carriers and the escalating situation in Iran. When a government struggles to control unrest at home,
04:02it looks beyond its borders. Multiple reports now suggest Iran has brought in nearly 5,000 Iraqi
04:10militia fighters to suppress anti-government protests. These are not the routine enforcements.
04:16These are the groups that do not answer to Baghdad, but to Tehran. Many trained, armed and coordinated
04:24by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Take a look.
04:47When a government can't control protests at home, it looks outside its borders for help.
04:54According to multiple reports, Iran has brought in nearly 5,000 Iraqi militia fighters to suppress
05:00anti-government demonstrations. These are not ordinary reinforcements. These are the same groups
05:06accused of brutally crushing protests in Iraq. The fighters reportedly come from Iran-backed Iraqi
05:13militias, including Qatayyib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, Saeed al-Shuhada, and the Bader Organization.
05:21These groups answer not to Baghdad, but to Tehran. Many were trained, armed, and coordinated by the
05:28Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and several are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.
05:35Iraq knows these militias well. During the 2019 Iraqi protest movement, these same groups were accused of
05:42sniper fire, kidnappings, and mass killings, and that left hundreds of peaceful protesters dead.
05:49Young Iraqis demanding jobs, dignity, and an end to corruption were met with bullets,
05:55disappearances, and fear. Now, reports say, those fighters have crossed into Iran.
06:02Iran has faced weeks of massive unrest. What began as protests over inflation and economic collapse
06:09quickly became chants of down with the dictator, spreading to over 200 cities across 26 provinces.
06:16Analysts say Tehran no longer fully trusts its own forces, the IRGC and Basij, amid reports of
06:23reluctance to fire on civilians. So, the regime allegedly turned to foreign militias with no
06:29emotional ties to Iran's people. Eyewitnesses in cities like Mashhad report riot police speaking
06:36Arabic. Sources say fighters entered Iran disguised as religious pilgrims,
06:41then were deployed to protest hotspots. Some reports claim they're paid around $600 a month to
06:48help enforce the crackdown. For many Iranians, this crossed a red line. Bringing in Iraqi militias
06:54risks deepening public anger and shattering any remaining legitimacy. To protesters, it feels like
07:01occupation, not security. To the region, it raises the risk of spillover, because these militias are
07:07part of Iran's so-called axis of resistance, active across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and beyond.
07:14The United States has expressed concern, calling the use of foreign militias a betrayal of the Iranian
07:20people. Iran once used these militias to crush protests in Iraq. Now, if reports are true,
07:27it's using them to silence its own people. Will this stop the protests or ignite something even bigger?
07:37A single sentence now circulating online is raising serious alarm, attributed to Iran's
07:43Armed Forces Chief, Major General Abdul Rahim Mousavi. Quote, if our boys had used their weapons,
07:50it would have been over in two hours. Unquote. In a video shared by pro-regime accounts,
07:56Mousavi claims security forces showed restraint. He accuses protesters of using civilian as human
08:03shields, suggesting civilian deaths were not the state's responsibility. But critics say the
08:09statement reveals something else entirely, how much force remains unused and available.
08:20had deliberately used human shields, they had blended in among the ordinary innocent civilians.
08:25A significant number of our beloved people were confronting them entirely unarmed.
08:33What does it mean when a country's top military commander says this?
08:37If our boys had used their weapons, it would have been over in two hours.
08:42That statement, now circulating online, is being attributed to Iran's Armed Forces Chief,
08:48Major General Abdul Rahim Mousavi. And it's raising disturbing questions about what's really
08:54happening on Iran's streets. In a video shared by pro-regime accounts, Mousavi claimed that Iranian
09:00security forces showed restraint during clashes with protesters. He alleged that demonstrators used
09:07other civilians as human shields and suggested that this, not the security forces, was responsible for
09:14high civilian casualties. It took them a full two hours to gather all of them. However, because they
09:20had deliberately used human shields, they had blended in among the ordinary innocent civilians. A significant
09:25number of our beloved people were confronting them entirely unarmed, many of them.
09:31To critics, the message sounded less like restraint and more like a warning. These remarks come as Iran
09:38enters its third week of massive anti-government protests. What began in late December as demonstrations
09:44over economic collapse, inflation, and currency devaluation has evolved into open calls for the overthrow of
09:52the Islamic Republic. Chants like death to the dictator are echoing across hundreds of cities and towns nationwide.
10:00Iranian officials insist they tolerate peaceful protesters, but label others as rioters, saboteurs,
10:06or foreign-backed enemies. They accuse the US and Israel of orchestrating a soft war and use that claim
10:14to justify harsher crackdowns. Mousavi's comments fit squarely into that narrative. Human rights organizations
10:21paint a very different picture. They report,
10:25live ammunition fired into crowds. Metal pellets causing devastating facial injuries. Shoot to kill
10:32tactics targeting the chest and abdomen. Hospitals overwhelmed. Families searching makeshift morgues for
10:38loved ones. This escalated sharply after a nationwide internet blackout earlier this month. Casualty numbers
10:46remain fiercely contested. Verified groups confirmed thousands killed and tens of thousands arrested.
10:53Other claims suggest even higher figures, though unverified. What is clear is this. The scale of
11:00violence is unlike anything Iran has seen in years. To many analysts, Mousavi's statement wasn't about
11:08restraint at all. It sounded like a message to Iranians and the world. This is not our full force. It could be
11:16far worse. And that may be the most chilling part. Was this a justification for what's already happened?
11:23Or a warning of what could still come? When a military chief says violence could have ended protests in two hours,
11:30people start asking who's really being protected and who's being threatened. Is this restraint or intimidation?
11:38Now, a key phone call and a request for restraint. According to the New York Times, Israeli Prime Minister
11:48Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Donald Trump to delay any potential American strike on Iran.
11:54The White House has confirmed the call, but not the details. This comes as Iran has warned it will
12:01retaliate against Israel if attacked by the United States. The timing of that conversation before or after
12:08Trump's public softening remains unclear.
12:27Tonight, war nearly ignited, then stopped cold. A US strike on Iran was reportedly called off at the
12:35very last minute, with aircraft already repositioned and regional bases on high alert.
12:41Sources say Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged caution, privately pushing Washington to step back,
12:48amid fears Iran could hit back harder than expected. According to reports, Donald Trump nearly greenlit a strike
12:56late Wednesday night, only to pull the plug minutes before execution. Advisors warned they could not guarantee a
13:03decisive blow to Iran's leadership and that retaliation could overwhelm US assets in the region.
13:10Israeli officials are said to be deeply uneasy. Netanyahu, long a hardliner on Iran, is now described
13:18as spooked by the scale of Tehran's potential response, fearing regional escalation that could
13:24quickly spiral beyond control. Signs of de-escalation followed. US aircraft that had been moved out of
13:31Al-Udayd Air Base in Qatar began returning, security warning levels were lowered, and personnel previously
13:38advised to leave were cleared to come back, according to sources briefed on the situation. Iran, too,
13:44stepped back, reopening its airspace after a near five-hour shutdown that had disrupted global flights.
13:51The move eased immediate fears of imminent conflict, as commercial aircraft cautiously resumed
13:57routes over the country. Trump signaled a temporary pause in pressure after being told that Iran's
14:03deadly crackdown on protests may be easing. Iranian officials denied plans for mass executions,
14:10and at least one reported death sentence was postponed, moves Trump publicly welcomed.
14:16Despite the cooling signals, officials stress this is not a resolution. Iran remains on edge,
14:23U.S. forces remain deployed, and Israel continues to warn of Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The question
14:30now is whether diplomacy holds, or whether this was just the calm before another storm. For now,
14:37war didn't start tonight. But the episode exposes deep unease, even among Iran's fiercest critics,
14:44about the cost of direct confrontation. Netanyahu's warning, Trump's pause, and Iran's measured response
14:51suggest one thing. Everyone blinked this time. Jackie. Thank you, Caroline. I wanted to get
14:57the White House reaction to Iranian state TV broadcasting an implicit threat to the president's
15:04life. It was images of the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to reports with
15:09the message. This time it will not go wrong. I have not seen that, to be honest with you, Jackie.
15:15We'll take a look, and I'll let the president and his national security team examine that footage to
15:20ensure its legitimacy. Again, I haven't seen it, so I can't comment on it. What I will say, with respect
15:24to Iran, is that the president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the
15:30killing continues, there will be grave consequences. And the president received a message, as he revealed
15:35to all of you in the whole world yesterday, that the killing and the executions will stop. And the
15:40president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place
15:46yesterday were halted. And so the president and his team are closely monitoring this situation,
15:53and all options remain on the table for the president. So, tonight, the picture is this.
15:58Aircraft carriers are moving, militias are crossing borders, and leaders are choosing words with care.
16:06Between restraint and retaliation, the space is narrow, and the cost of miscalculation
16:11could be global. That's world news for you. See you soon.
