Iran targeted the Al Udeid base in June in retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Trump has threatened to intervene militarily in Iran several times since the protest movement that has shaken the country began in late December. Rights monitors say that under cover of a five-day internet blackout, Iranian authorities are carrying out their harshest repression in years against demonstrations openly challenging the theocratic system. Amnesty International accused authorities of committing mass unlawful killings “on an unprecedented scale”, citing verified videos and eyewitness accounts. Iran Human Rights, based in Norway, said security forces had killed at least 3428 protesters and arrested more than 10,000.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 14, 2026 22:58 UTC