News and Analysis 1/8/26

The Trump Administration calls it enforcement of sanctions; a member of the Russian Parliament calls it “outright piracy on the high seas”:

• U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker and Boards Another amid Tensions with Russia (NY Times)

Iranian demonstrations spread:

• ‘They Are Killing Us’: Authorities Use Force Against Protesters in Kurdish Regions of Iran (The Guardian)
• Footage Shows Violent Clashes as Iran Protests Spread to More Areas (BBC)
• Iranian Protesters ‘Claiming Entire Cities,’ US House Foreign Affairs Committee Says (Jerusalem Post)
• Dissent at Home, Threats from Abroad. Iran Faces ‘War on Two Fronts’ (Christian Science Monitor)
• Iran Is on the Edge of Revolution: The Forces that Created the Islamic Republic Are Fomenting Its Destruction (New Statesman)

Israeli war crimes continue:

• 2 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Strike in Gaza City Despite Ceasefire (Andalou Ajansi)

“From the mass incarceration and police excesses of the ‘war on drugs,’ to the renditions, executions, and torture of the ‘war on terrorism,’ … the U.S. empire has been on a decades-long warpath culminating with the extermination of the Palestinian people and this week’s assault on Venezuela” …

• Ushering in the Age of Impunity: Venezuela, Palestine, and the End of International Law (Mondoweiss)

… which is fine with Netanyahu:

• Netanyahu Is Trying to Drag Trump into Changing Another Regime: Iran’s (New Republic)

The order applies only to non-Jews:

• Israel Authorises Electronic Tracking of Palestinians (MEMO)

“According to the lawsuit … her work environment changed in 2025 after she began wearing a headscarf and other clothing reflecting her Muslim religion”:

• Woman Says She Was Unwelcome at Main Line College Because She’s Muslim (Philly Magazine)

The Zionist war on free speech — and the resistance — continues:

• Palestine Action Hunger Strikers near Death ‘Intent’ on Continuing Protests (Aljazeera)

Israeli and American embrace of mutually contradictory intentions may merely reflect a desire to be prepared for any eventuality:

• How to Make Sense of Contradictory Messaging on Iran Regime Change? – Analysis (Jerusalem Post)

Spain must actively participate in rebuilding hope in Palestine. The situation there remains intolerable” — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez:

• Spanish PM Open to Sending Troops to Maintain Peace ‘in Palestine’ (Alarabiya)

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