Reactions and statements from the international community
IDF Brigade 769 conducted airstrikes in southern Lebanon, eliminating key Hezbollah militants and neutralizing others on the ground. Troops also discovered a significant weapons cache, including explosives, small arms, radios, and ammunition.
Chris Wright, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, announced in an interview with CNN on Sunday that the United States will not target Iran's energy infrastructure during the ongoing war with Iran, alongside Israel, which attacked oil storage facilities in Tehran and Karaj on Saturday.
A former Islamic Republic official tells IranWire that Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, opposes Mojtaba Khamenei becoming the next leader, while Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Parliament, supports him, causing a delay in the announcement due to internal conflicts.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Supreme Leader Khamenei ordered the IRGC to implement mosaic warfare tactics, instructing commanders to independently attack targets without superior approval in the event of his assassination.
The Islamic Republic regime in Iran threatens to execute hundreds of thousands of people if the current conflict ends, indicating a scale of retaliation far surpassing the January 2023 massacre. The Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also plans to seize civilian assets, properties, and bank accounts.
The Israeli army announced a series of attacks on Tehran and other locations in Iran, targeting the IRGC Space Command headquarters and approximately 50 ammunition depots, as well as a Basij base, an internal security command center, and a complex belonging to the IRGC Ground Forces.
Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, rejected calls for a ceasefire during an interview with NBC, stating that Tehran will continue the fight until there is a "permanent end to the war." He also emphasized that Iran will target American bases and assets in the region and will not allow any country to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted new waves of strikes in Tehran, hitting the IRGC Space and Satellite Command, 50 ammunition bunkers, the Khayyam satellite control center, Basij bases, internal security headquarters, and IRGC ground force complexes.
The government-affiliated website Varzesh3 reported that a missile attack destroyed the 12,000-seat Azadi Hall, stating that the loss includes the hall's historical significance and memories, but did not mention the presence of suppression forces or provide details on future stadium construction.
Significant damage has been reported in the Dahieh neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut, following several rounds of Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah subsequently launched retaliatory attacks.
On January 17, 2026 (Asfand 1404 in the Iranian calendar), the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a statement indicating the Council of Experts in Qom is preparing to convene and elect a new leader, with Arch Israeil urging those intending to participate in the election process to do so.
Today in Tehran, Iran, the air quality has severely deteriorated due to oil particles, while the United Arab Emirates has commenced military strikes against Iranian targets, officially entering the conflict. A new supreme leader has been selected within Iran but their identity remains undisclosed due to security concerns.
