More horrifying images and stories are emerging about Iran’s regime's horrific massacre of Iranian citizens.
According to Iran International, more than 36,500 protesters have been killed by the regime since the protests started nearly one month ago.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz described it as "a state-sponsored massacre" in an interview on Sunday. "The U.N.'s own figures are saying now up to 18,000, although it looks like it may be far, far worse."
New reporting sheds light on the personal horrors experienced by everyday Iranians, describing a scene in the major Iranian city of Mashhad as protesters "bled to death on sidewalks or on the backs of strangers who had tried to carry them to safety. But the government forces kept firing into the crush of demonstrators."
"Under the cover of a nationwide internet blackout, security forces used lethal weapons to target demonstrators from rooftops, bridges, and building complexes... The mass killing continued over the next two nights, according to five Iranians... 'For three nights, the streets of my home town turned into a killing field,' one demonstrator [said]. 'The death was incomprehensible.'"
The United States must continue to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime and hold it accountable for the slaughter of tens of thousands of peaceful protesters.
TAKE 30 SECONDS: Urge your members of Congress to speak out in support of the brave Iranian protesters and condemn the brutal regime for violently suppressing them.
The protests have even reached parts of the country where the regime once believed it retained the strongest support. The regime is also grappling with a historically weak economy, caused in part by effective U.S. sanctions.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced today that the Air Force will be "conducting a multi-day readiness exercise to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility [the Middle East]," as a U.S. naval "armada" arrives in the region.
With the final hostage returned to Israel from Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump, and other world leaders are working to advance to the next stage of the Gaza peace plan.
Speaking yesterday at the Knesset, Netanyahu said that the next phase must include "disarming Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip," before reconstruction.
Similarly, President Trump stressed that "Now we have to disarm Hamas like they promised."
According to reports, Hamas is seeking to incorporate 10,000 of its terrorists into the police force that will protect Gaza under the new technocratic government, a sign that the group is not willing to follow through on its promise to disarm and give up power.
Meanwhile, Turkey yesterday hosted a delegation of Hamas' top leaders, continuing the country's longstanding support for the genocidal terrorist organization.
The Hamas delegation met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
For a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike, the United States must increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar and Turkey to ensure the terror group fully disarms.
U.S. National Defense Strategy highlights Israel as "model ally" and continued threat from Iran
The United States recently published the 2026 National Defense Strategy, outlining the nation's defense priorities for this year.
The strategy praises Israel as a "model ally" and reaffirmed that "Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons."
On Israel: "Israel showed that it was able and willing to defend itself after the barbaric attacks of October 7th—in short, that it is a model ally."
"Israel has long demonstrated that it is both willing and able to defend itself with critical but limited support from the United States. Israel is a model ally, and we have an opportunity now to further empower it to defend itself and promote our shared interests."
On the U.S.-Israel military alliance: "U.S. forces also provided critical support to Israel’s defense throughout the 12-Day War, enabling Israel’s historic operational and strategic successes."
On Iran: "President Trump has consistently made clear that Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons... Nor can we ignore the facts that the Iranian regime has the blood of Americans on its hands, that it remains intent on destroying our close ally Israel, and that Iran and its proxies routinely instigate regional crises that not only threaten the lives of American servicemembers in the region but also prevent the region itself from pursuing the kind of peaceful and prosperous future that so many of its leaders and peoples clearly wish for."
Over the past few days, the IDF has hit Hezbollah with a new wave of strikes in southern Lebanon.
On Sunday, the IDF eliminated two terrorists who helped advance terrorist attacks and aid the group in rearming.
The second terrorist eliminated on Sunday was Jawad Basma, who worked at a weapons manufacturing site.
Yesterday, the IDF took out a Hezbollah weapons storage facility and other military infrastructure used by the group's elite "Radwan Force" to plan terror attacks.
Also yesterday, Ali Nour El-Din, one of the heads of Hezbollah's artillery in southern Lebanon, who also planned terrorist attacks against Israel, was eliminated.
Earlier today, the IDF eliminated two more Hezbollah terrorists while they were operating at an underground site in southern Lebanon.
All of these strikes were carried out because the terrorists' activity constituted a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
The United States must continue to increase the pressure on Lebanon to fulfill its stated commitment to fully disarm Hezbollah.
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
