00:00Trump orders Iran strike within 24 hours, 2,400 dead as USS Abraham Lincoln races to region.
00:09In mid-January 2026, U.S. and European officials warned that American air strikes on Iran could be imminent after weeks of mass protests and a deadly crackdown.
00:18President Donald Trump convened emergency situation room meetings, evacuated personnel from regional bases, and ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group toward the Persian Gulf as military options were prepared.
00:33Human rights groups reported at least 2,400 protesters killed since late December 2025, with some estimates exceeding 5,000.
00:42Witnesses described indiscriminate shootings, snipers firing into crowds, deaths in custody, and widespread torture.
00:50Iran imposed near-total Internet shutdowns, limiting documentation as officials blamed rioters and terrorists.
00:57Unrest erupted after Iran's currency lost about 60% of its value in weeks, driving food prices beyond reach.
01:04Protests spread nationwide, fueled by anger over corruption, sanctions, and decades of economic mismanagement, with chants directly challenging Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
01:16Despite expectations of imminent strikes, Trump stopped short of issuing execution orders.
01:21On January 14th, he announced Iran had privately agreed to halt planned executions of detained protesters following secret talks led by Envoy Steve Witkoff through Qatari and Omani intermediaries closing the strike window.
01:36Embassies were evacuated, flights were canceled, and oil prices spiked amid fears of wider war and disruption to the Strait of Hormuz.
01:44Gulf states urged restraint.
01:46G7 ministers condemned Iran's violence, but debated intervention, while China and Russia called for de-escalation.
01:54Analysts warned the U.S. lacked forces for sustained conflict and faced risks from Iran's missiles, air defenses, and regional proxies.
02:04The Abraham Lincoln continued its deployment as a deterrent despite the diplomatic pause.
02:08Trump's restraint divided U.S. politics, raised war powers questions, and highlighted limits of diplomacy against authoritarian repression.
02:18Young Iranians driving the protests exposed a deep generational rupture that continues to challenge the regime's legitimacy.
Comments