A US official told Reuters and the Associated Press on Wednesday that the withdrawal was a precaution, while diplomats said some forces had been advised to leave al-Udeid base in Qatar. The US president had promised to “rescue protesters” if Iranian authorities carried on killing them. Iran’s judicial chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, told state media: “If we want to do a job, we should do it now. Iranian state television has offered the first official acknowledgment of the deaths, quoting an official saying the country had “a lot of martyrs”. Iranian state media have aired at least 97 confessions from protesters since 28 December, according to HRANA.

Source: The Guardian January 15, 2026 00:42 UTC