The Take: Iran, Trump, and the deadliest crackdown on protests yet

As protests continue, Iran and the US seem to hint at readiness for war.

A member of the Iranian police attends a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, January 12, 2026.
A member of the Iranian police attends a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, January 12, 2026 [Stringer/WANA/Reuters]

Iran’s protests started with economic demands. Now, the Iranian government says it is ready for war. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has told Iranian protesters that “help is on the way”, as Washington discusses military options. Could tension spread far beyond Iran?

In this episode: 

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  • Negar Mortazavi (@NegarMortazavi), Center for International Policy senior fellow and host of The Iran Podcast

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili, Chloe K Li and Melanie Marich, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Tamara Khandaker, Noor Wazwaz and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Ney Alvarez. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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