Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, offering "mediation and urging de-escalation" of tensions around Iran. The UN Security Council held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the Iran situation. Addressing the meeting, the US envoy called Trump "a man of action" and said "all options are on the table." The US Treasury levied sanctions on Iran's powerful security chief Ali Larijani and others it accused of being architects of a 'brutal crackdown'. Iranian authorities have significantly expanded the presence of security forces across multiple cities, eyewitnesses said, tightening control to prevent further protests.

Source: Fox News January 16, 2026 01:55 UTC