The Daily Populous Thursday January 15th, 2026 day edition
Authored by indiatoday.in and submitted by vishesh_07_028

A sharp new flashpoint emerged in the already volatile standoff between Washington and Tehran after Iranian state television aired what appeared to be a direct threat against US President Donald Trump, using imagery from the 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally.

Iranian state TV broadcast an image of Trump from the July 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was grazed by a bullet, alongside a chilling message: "This time it (the bullet) will not miss the target," according to reports by AFP and the New York Post.

The broadcast marked one of Tehran’s most open threats yet to the US President amid reports that he is weighing military strikes against Iran. Iranian officials have accused Washington of using the country’s internal unrest as a justification for possible intervention.

The message was widely interpreted as a reference to the Butler rally shooting, in which Trump was wounded during a pre-election speech. Iranian television paired the warning with a photograph from that event. However, no official reaction from the authorities has emerged on the incident.

The threat followed claims that the United States has begun repositioning forces in the region, including reports of troop movements from its largest base in the Middle East, amid concerns Iran could retaliate if struck. The decision came as a senior official in Tehran brought up the country's retaliatory attack in June, 2025 at Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha, Qatar.

Trump, speaking in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, said the United States would respond forcefully if Iran escalated its crackdown on protesters.

"We will take very strong action if they do such a thing," Trump said, referring to reports of executions. "When they start killing thousands of people — and now you’re telling me about hanging — we’ll see how that’s going to work out for them."

Iranian authorities dismissed the remarks as a pretext for military intervention, as protests continue to simmer inside the country. Witnesses returning from Iran described heavy security deployments and clashes between demonstrators and police in parts of Tehran.

The Iranian leadership, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is already under strain following recent regional conflicts and domestic unrest.

The protests broke out in December when the value of the Iranian rial fell to record lows, adding to the woes of an already sanctions-hit Iran, which is primarily over its nuclear program.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that over 2,600 of those killed were protesters. More than 18,400 people have been detained, the group said.

On Wednesday, the Iranian government arranged a mass funeral for 100 security personnel who had been killed in the protests. Tens of thousands of people were in attendance, waving the Iranian flag and pictures of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Published By: Satyam Singh Published On: Jan 15, 2026

agreatcuppatea on January 15th, 2026 at 11:05 UTC »

I'd pay for both the leader to fight in a close range combat.

ObviousForeshadow on January 15th, 2026 at 08:43 UTC »

Feel like that one guy in Godzilla: "..... let them fight"

Bunker_Bertil on January 15th, 2026 at 08:38 UTC »

Trump regime falls, Iranian theological regime falls. The common public on both sides win?