Trump does not rule out strikes, says he'll 'see what happens' with Iran

Panahi said on Instagram that the killing of filmmaker Javad Ganji has been followed by an escalating campaign of intimidation against artists aimed at erasing the truth about protest deaths.

Panahi said directors Majid Barzegar and Behtash Sanaeiha were separately summoned and harshly interrogated for hours over a joint statement condemning state violence, warning that more cinema professionals are expected to face summons and that heavy judicial cases are already open.

"Fars News (IRGC-linked) says that some assets have been seized and convicts will be forced to pay for public damages. The regime is attempting to erase its massacre of protesters by intimidating artists, fabricating loyalty narratives, and burying the truth under judicial repression," Panahi said.

"International filmmakers and artists: Stand with your Iranian colleagues now."

Panahi said state media reported that, on orders from Tehran’s prosecutor, files have been built against 10 House of Cinema signatories, 15 prominent actors and athletes, and around 60 cafés allegedly linked to protests.

The witness said that on the night of Jan. 9, in the Kuy-e Andisheh area, security forces, snipers and plainclothes agents trapped protesters in an alley and targeted them with large amounts of tear gas and direct gunfire.

According to the eyewitness, at least five people had been killed in the area the previous night.

He said the intense tear gas caused severe breathing difficulties for a number of residents, including his mother and aunt, forcing people to light fires in the street in an attempt to make the air breathable.

The witness said security forces blocked both ends of the street, pushed the crowd into side alleys and then opened fire.

The eyewitness added that security forces were brought to the area on city buses, with snipers positioned on walls. Plainclothes agents were also present among the crowd and, alongside the use of tear gas and gunfire, were identifying and suppressing protesters.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday addressed regional tensions including events in Iran, and urged restraint.

"The region is going through a lot of tensions. And of course, we cannot exclude what's happening with Iran from these tensions in the region,” Al Thani said, according to a video clip shared by Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X.

“And I believe that, with all this turmoil around us, we need to be more cool-headed and resort to wisdom,” he added.

Amnesty International on Tuesday called for an immediate halt to the planned execution of 19-year-old Iranian protester Amirhossein Ghaderzadeh, whose death sentence is due to be carried out on Wednesday.

“Iranian authorities must immediately halt any plans to execute 19-year-old Amirhossein Ghaderzadeh, who has been detained since 9 January for taking part in protests in Rasht, Gilan province, and stop weaponizing the death penalty against protesters,” Amnesty said in a post on X.

“According to an informed source, the authorities told him during a court session on 17 January that he is accused of ‘betraying his country’ and sentenced to ‘death by hanging’. The authorities have informed his family that his execution is scheduled for 21 January,” the group added.

Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has urged the European Union to formally designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, citing its role in crushing protests and sponsoring terror across the region.

“Designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization!” the foreign minister wrote on X on Tuesday, responding to a post from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“You know very well what their role is in the murderous repression of the civilian protest in Iran, as well as in spreading terror in the Middle East and beyond,” Sa’ar added.​