Trump Says Weighing Tough Response to Iran Crackdown, Tehran Says Ready for War but Also Dialogue

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12 January 2026, 16:45

Iran Protests — In this frame grab from video taken by an individual not employed by The Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran shows people blocking an intersection during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday Jan. 8, 2026. (UGC via AP)

DUBAI, Jan 12 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said the U.S. may meet Iranian officials and was in contact with the opposition, as he weighed a range of strong responses including military options to a violent crackdown on Iranian protests which pose one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“We are ready for war but also for dialogue,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Monday in a briefing to foreign ambassadors in Tehran via English translation.

Trump has warned Iran‘s leaders that the United States would attack if security forces open fire on protesters.

U.S.-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested.

Iran has not given an official toll and Reuters was unable to independently verify the tallies.

Trump said on Sunday that Iran had called to negotiate its nuclear programme, which Israel and the U.S. bombed in a 12-day war in June.

“Iran wants to negotiate, yes. We might meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting, but a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.

Trump was to meet with senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for Iran, a U.S. official told Reuters on Sunday. The Wall Street Journal had reported that options included military strikes, using secret cyber weapons, widening sanctions and providing online help to anti-government sources.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against “a miscalculation.”

“Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target,” said Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran‘s elite Revolutionary Guards.

DOZENS OF BODY BAGS

The protests began on December 28 in response to soaring prices, before turning against the clerical rulers who have governed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranians, who are struggling to make ends meet, have grown increasing resentful of the powerful Revolutionary Guards, whose business interests including oil and gas, construction and telecommunications are worth billions of dollars.

State TV on Monday aired live footage of large crowds attending a funeral procession for security forces killed in Shahrud and pro-government demonstrations in cities such as Kerman, Zahedan and Birjand, held “in condemnation of recent terrorist events”. It also relayed calls from various senior officials inviting people to take to the streets on Monday.

Iranian authorities accused the U.S. and Israel of fomenting trouble and called for a nationwide rally on Monday to condemn “terrorist actions led by the United States and Israel,” state media reported.

The situation in Iran is “under total control” after violence linked to protests spiked over the weekend, said Araqchi. He added Trump’s warning against Tehran of action should protests turn bloody had motivated “terrorists” to target protesters and security forces in order to invite foreign intervention.

The flow of information from Iran has been hampered by an internet blackout since Thursday. Trump said on Sunday he would talk to Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran through his Starlink satellite service.

Araqchi said internet service will be resumed in coordination with security authorities.

Footage posted on social media on Saturday from Tehran showed large crowds marching at night, clapping and chanting. The crowd “has no end nor beginning,” a man is heard saying.

State TV showed dozens of body bags on the ground at the Tehran coroner’s office, saying the dead were victims of events caused by “armed terrorists”, as well as footage of loved ones gathered outside the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre in Tehran waiting to identify bodies.

Reuters verified the locations.

Authorities on Sunday declared three days of national mourning “in honour of martyrs killed in resistance against the United States and the Zionist regime,” according to state media.

Three Israeli sources, who were present for Israeli security consultations over the weekend, said Israel was on a high-alert footing for the possibility of any U.S. intervention.

Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war in June 2025, which the United States briefly joined by attacking nuclear installations. Iran retaliated by firing missiles at Israel and an American air base in Qatar.

‘RIOTERS AND TERRORISTS’

While Iranian authorities have weathered previous protests, the latest have unfolded with Tehran still recovering from last year’s war and with its regional position weakened by blows to allies such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah since the October 7, 2023 attacks against Israel.

Iran‘s unrest comes as Trump flexes U.S. muscles internationally, having ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and discussing acquiring Greenland by purchase or force.

Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat and Iran expert, thought it unlikely the protests would topple the establishment.

“I think it more likely that it puts these protests down eventually, but emerges from the process far weaker,” he told Reuters, noting that Iran‘s elite still appeared cohesive and there was no organised opposition.

Trump, posting on social media on Saturday, said: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”

(Additional reporting by Elwely Elwelly in Dubai. Rami Ayyub, Maayan Lubell and Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem, Steve Holland in Washington; Video verification by Mahezabin Syed, Eleanor Whalley and Marine Delrue; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Sergio Non, Lincoln Feast and Michael Perry)

Tourist police arrest fugitive in 440,000-meth-pill case

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Khaosod English

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12 January 2026, 15:40

Tourist police arrest fugitive in 440,000-meth-pill case

KHON KAEN — Tourist police in northeastern Thailand have arrested a 28-year-old man wanted on an arrest warrant in connection with the trafficking of 440,000 methamphetamine pills, after he went into hiding in Khon Kaen province.

At 14:30 on 12 January 2026, officers from Sub-Division 1 of Tourist Police Division 2, led by Col. Ronnapat Phengyuak, carried out the arrest with investigators from the Khon Kaen tourist police unit. The suspect, identified as Kittithat Duang-uam, was detained at a well-known apartment building on Chimpalee Road in the Non Than area of Khon Kaen municipality.

Kittithat, a resident of Lan Sak district in Uthai Thani province, was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Bueng Kan Provincial Court for possession of a Category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine tablets) with intent to sell. He was taken into custody and questioned at the Khon Kaen tourist police station.

Col. Ronnapat said the arrest followed the detection of the suspect by the tourist police’s AI-powered facial recognition system, which is installed across Khon Kaen municipality. The system flagged the suspect’s presence in the area earlier this month, prompting officers to conduct further checks and surveillance.

Investigators later confirmed that Kittithat was a key suspect wanted by Lao Luang police in Bueng Kan province. He was allegedly part of a group involved in smuggling 440,000 methamphetamine pills in Bueng Khong Long district, but had previously evaded arrest.

Police tracked him to the apartment in Non Than subdistrict, where they found him hiding in a rented room. Officers identified themselves, conducted a search and took him into custody under a Bueng Kan Provincial Court warrant dated 24 September 2024.

Col. Ronnapat said the suspect declined to make a statement, but identity checks confirmed he was the individual named in the warrant. He was formally charged with jointly possessing a Category 1 narcotic for sale in violation of the law.

The suspect has been transferred to Lao Luang police station for further legal proceedings.

Cambodian, South Korean Police Arrest 26 for Alleged Scams, Sex Crimes, Blue House Says

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Reuters

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12 January 2026, 15:31

SEOUL, Jan 12 (Reuters) – A joint investigative team of Cambodian and South Korean police has arrested 26 suspects over alleged online scams and sex crimes targeting South Korean citizens, the Korean presidential office said on Monday.

The bilateral task force found that the suspects allegedly extorted about 26.7 billion won ($18.25 million) from 165 South Koreans through online scams, in which they pretended to be police or financial regulators, Kang Yu-jung, a spokeswoman at the Blue House, said at a briefing.

The suspects also allegedly coerced multiple female victims into filming sex videos and photos for distribution, Kang said, declining to elaborate on details.

Cambodian police made the arrests with assistance from the task force and South Korea’s intelligence agency, she added.

The suspects will be extradited to South Korea to face punishment, she said.

The Cambodian government could not immediately be reached for comment on the arrests and allegations.

($1 = 1,463.0000 won)

(Reporting by Heejin Kim; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

Twelve Thais detained after being smuggled into Cambodia via forest border route

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Khaosod English

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12 January 2026, 14:51

9888000 — Thai officials question 12 Thai nationals after they were returned from Cambodia on Tuesday for allegedly crossing the border illegally through a forest route in Trat province.

TRAT — Thai authorities on Tuesday received 12 Thai nationals from Cambodian officials after they were arrested for illegally crossing the border into Cambodia through a forest route in eastern Thailand, local officials said.

The group was handed over at Ban Cham Yeam checkpoint in Koh Kong province, Cambodia, at around 11.00 on 13 January and transferred to Khlong Yai district in Thailand’s Trat province, according to Kallaya Prasitphak, district chief of Khlong Yai.

The 12 had been detained by Cambodian authorities on 8 January after allegedly entering the country illegally through a natural crossing point in the Khao Wong area of Khlong Yai subdistrict.

After their return, Thai marines from Unit 182 searched their belongings and recorded their personal details, while public health officials conducted medical screenings. Eleven were found to be in good physical health, but one 44-year-old woman was in a state of severe anxiety and panic, repeatedly asking whether she was back in Thailand. Officials said she had a history of depression and anxiety disorder and was taken to rest under medical supervision.

A 23-year-old man from Khlong Yai, identified only as Noi, admitted to leading the group across the border on foot through the forest route. He said he used the Khao Wong natural pass because the official border checkpoint was closed and claimed the route was safe and free of landmines.

Noi said he escorted two groups across the border on the evening of 8 January, using darkness to avoid detection. He said his role was only to guide them on foot to a meeting point at Khao Wong monastery, where vehicles were waiting to take them onward.

He said he was paid 6,000 baht per person for the job by an employer, and insisted that no Thai officials were involved in the operation. He said the crossings were timed to avoid military patrols.

One of those detained, a 35-year-old woman from Phichit province, said she had been working as a nursing assistant but quit because the income was not enough. She later worked in a factory but still struggled financially. She said she saw a job advertisement online offering 25,000 baht per month to work as an administrator for a poker website in Poipet, Cambodia, and decided to apply.

She said she was instructed to meet at a hotel in Chanthaburi province, where transportation was arranged to take her near the border before being led across on foot.

Thai authorities said the case highlights ongoing risks of illegal border crossings and possible links to online gambling and scam operations operating across the Thai-Cambodian border.

Investigations are continuing.

Young Nurse Dies Suddenly During Night Shift

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Khaosod English

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12 January 2026, 14:18

ROI ET — 11 January 2026, A 30-year-old nurse in northeastern Thailand has died after suffering cardiac arrest while working a night shift, prompting an outpouring of grief and renewed discussion about the health risks faced by medical staff who work irregular hours.

Roi Et Hospital said in a Facebook post on 11 January that Yupharak Sukwandee, a registered nurse in the hospital’s female internal medicine ward, died after her heart stopped while she was on duty overnight.

The hospital expressed condolences to her family, colleagues and loved ones. Many social media users also posted messages of mourning, with some saying they had only recently seen her share a photo on social media of having dinner with her boyfriend shortly before her death.

A colleague identified her as “Nong Eve” and said the nurse had complained of diarrhea and fatigue before starting her shift but continued working. The colleague said she later collapsed in a bathroom during her shift and could not be revived.

The death has drawn attention to the risks faced by doctors and nurses who work overnight and rotating shifts. In a widely shared post, Thai physician Surath who writes about health and neuroscience, said shift work can disrupt the body’s natural biological clock and place additional stress on the heart and nervous system, especially for people with undiagnosed underlying conditions such as high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, high cholesterol or diabetes.

He urged medical workers and others who work night shifts to undergo regular health checkups, pay attention to warning signs such as palpitations, chest pain or unusual fatigue, and to prioritize sleep and stress management.

“No one should have to die simply because they performed their duty too well,” he wrote.

Thailand Eyes Southeast Asia’s First Disneyland

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Khaosod English

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12 January 2026, 13:07

Hong_Kong_Disneyland_Castle — Castle of Magical Dreams, icon of Hong Kong Disneyland, in 2023

BANGKOK — Thailand is seeking to attract the first Disneyland theme park in Southeast Asia as part of efforts to boost tourism and support major transport and aviation projects in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor, a senior official said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the government wants to bring Disneyland into the EEC area to serve as a major tourist attraction and help increase passenger numbers for the high-speed rail project linking Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports with U-Tapao airport.

He said the theme park would also support the development of U-Tapao airport and the surrounding aviation city, making the large-scale infrastructure investments more economically viable and helping push the projects forward.

“There is no Disneyland in Southeast Asia,” Phiphat said. “If we can bring it into the EEC, Thailand would be the first country in the region.”

Phiphat said Thailand plans to first invite the Walt Disney Company to invest directly. If Disney chooses not to invest, Thailand could seek to operate the park under a licensing agreement instead.

He said Thailand has advantages over regional competitors such as Singapore, including its geographic location, strong service industry and a climate that is not too hot or too cold for tourists.

“If we can bring Disneyland here, it would become a major draw for foreign visitors and encourage them to stay longer in the area,” he said.

Luxury Villa Raid Busts Israeli Drug Ring on Koh Phangan

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Khaosod English

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12 January 2026, 12:39

Luxury Villa Raid Busts Israeli Drug Ring on Koh Phangan

KOH PHANGAN — 12 January 2026, Thai police have arrested four Israeli after raiding a luxury villa on the resort island of Koh Phangan and dismantling a drug trafficking network targeting foreign tourists, authorities said.

The raid took place under a nationwide policy to crack down on foreign criminal groups, led by the Tourist Police Bureau. Officers from tourist police, local provincial police, immigration officials and district authorities carried out the operation at a villa in Moo 4, Koh Phangan district, Surat Thani province.

Police said they acted on a tip-off from local residents reporting a loud overnight party and suspicious movements of foreigners entering and leaving the property.

israel narc 2 — Police officers with the seized items.

When officers arrived, they encountered Shahar, 33, an Israeli, who appeared nervous and attempted to flee. A search of the villa uncovered white powder residue scattered on a table. Inside, police found two other Israeli women, Sasson, 24, and Livshits, 23.

Seized at the scene were 3.32 grams of cocaine, 28.99 grams of ketamine, 0.86 grams of MDMA and 29 electronic cigarettes, police said.

During questioning, the three suspects told investigators they had purchased the drugs via the WhatsApp messaging application from Rachmani, 48, another Israeli, at a price of 4,500 baht per gram. Officers then moved to search Rachmani’s residence in Moo 6 later the same day.

israel narc 3 — Drugs were packaged in zip-lock bags bearing a gun image.

Police arrested Rachmani at his home and seized 33.36 grams of cocaine, 16.07 grams of ketamine, MDMA in both tablet and powder form, LSD blotter stamps and 79,000 baht in cash. Investigators said the drugs were packaged in zip-lock bags bearing a gun image, described as a previously unseen form of packaging believed to be a symbol used by the network.

Authorities said the group focused on selling drugs to Israeli tourists at parties across the island. The arrests were described as part of efforts to remove foreign criminal influence and to promote Koh Phangan as a safe destination for visitors.

The three suspects arrested at the villa were charged with joint possession of Category 1 and Category 2 narcotics for sale, possession of psychotropic substances for sale, drug use and possession of untaxed goods, namely electronic cigarettes. Rachmani was charged with possession and sale of Category 1 drugs, including MDMA and LSD, and Category 2 drugs, including cocaine and ketamine, as well as drug use.

All four suspects were taken to Koh Phangan police station for further legal proceedings. Authorities said they would also move to deport the suspects and place them on a blacklist barring re-entry into Thailand.

Uzbek Tourist Arrested Over Assault on Teen in Phuket

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12 January 2026, 11:58

Uzbek Tourist Arrested Over Assault on Teen in Phuket

PHUKET — 12 January 2026, Thai police have arrested a 37-year-old tourist from Uzbekistan accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at a restaurant on the popular resort island of Phuket.

Police at Tha Chatchai station said officers were alerted at 22:35 on Saturday after reports that a foreign tourist had molested a minor at the Golden Cat restaurant in Mai Khao, a coastal area in northern Phuket near the island’s international airport.

The suspect, identified as Firuz, was dining at the restaurant at the time of the incident. Police said restaurant staff and customers restrained him before officers arrived.

According to the victim’s statement, at about 22.20 she was leaving the restaurant’s toilet when the man blocked her path, dragged her back inside and touched her chest. She screamed for help, prompting staff and patrons to intervene.

Police took the suspect into custody and transferred him to Tha Chatchai police station for further investigation. He faces charges related to sexual assault, police said.

Wealthy Yacht Owner’s Mysterious Death Shocks Phuket

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Khaosod English

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12 January 2026, 11:19

news102381_H8UYAonpyJ1768145918 — A British-Australian man was found dead aboard his private yacht anchored off the coast of Thailand’s Phuket island, police said Sunday, and authorities are investigating the cause of death.

PHUKET — A wealthy British-Australian man was found dead aboard his private yacht anchored off the coast of Thailand’s Phuket island, police said Sunday, as authorities launched an investigation into the cause of death.

Police received a report at about 12.30 on 11 January that a British-Australian man, identified as Graham Patrick Davis, had died aboard his yacht, Synergy Sydney, which was anchored offshore near Khao Kad Beach in Phuket’s Wichit subdistrict, across from the Veranda Resort hotel.

Officers from Wichit Police Station, forensic investigators and a medical examiner from Vachira Phuket Hospital traveled to the scene. The man was found lying on his back on a mattress inside the yacht’s front cabin. There were no visible injuries, no signs of a struggle and no indication the cabin had been searched or disturbed, police said.

A preliminary examination suggested the man had been dead for about one to two days. The exact cause of death has not yet been determined.

Police said the body was discovered by a German national, Matthias Lepke, 54, a friend of the deceased whose yacht was anchored nearby. Lepke told investigators he became concerned when he had not seen his friend for some time and went to check on him around noon. He found his friend dead and alerted hotel staff, who then contacted police.

Local residents told police the man had lived alone aboard the yacht for about 10 years and regularly traveled by sea between Malaysia and Phuket.

The body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a full autopsy to determine the cause of death. Police said they would notify the British and Australian embassies to inform the man’s family and arrange for the body to be released for funeral rites.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.

Thai forces arrest 16 Myanmar migrants bound for Cambodia

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Khaosod English

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12 January 2026, 10:37

Thai forces arrest 16 Myanmar migrants bound for Cambodia

SA KAEW — 13 January 2026, Thai security forces have arrested 16 Myanmar nationals who were attempting to cross the border into Cambodia illegally, police said.

The arrests were made during a joint patrol by the Burapha Task Force, an army ranger unit and Khlong Nam Sai police in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province. Officers spotted a group of people walking along a farm track in Nong Prue village and moved in to inspect them.

All 16 were found to be men from Myanmar’s Mandalay region and were unable to produce passports or travel documents, authorities said.

During questioning, the migrants told officers they had been persuaded by friends to apply for work advertised on Facebook as cleaning staff, with a promised salary of US$500 a month. They said they had contacted a Facebook administrator, after which a Thai man and a Myanmar man drove them to the area in a black pickup truck to arrange their onward crossing see into Cambodia.

Each migrant paid 12,000 baht for the journey, police said. No escorts or smugglers were found at the scene at the time of the arrest.

The group was handed over to Khlong Nam Sai police for legal proceedings.

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