Mossad Chief Accuses Iran of Plotting Attacks

Israel's Mossad Director David Barnea speaks on the backdrop of a video claiming to show Iranian intelligence operatives, during the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) World Summit in the central coastal city of Herzliya on September 10, 2023. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
Israel's Mossad Director David Barnea speaks on the backdrop of a video claiming to show Iranian intelligence operatives, during the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) World Summit in the central coastal city of Herzliya on September 10, 2023. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
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Mossad Chief Accuses Iran of Plotting Attacks

Israel's Mossad Director David Barnea speaks on the backdrop of a video claiming to show Iranian intelligence operatives, during the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) World Summit in the central coastal city of Herzliya on September 10, 2023. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
Israel's Mossad Director David Barnea speaks on the backdrop of a video claiming to show Iranian intelligence operatives, during the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) World Summit in the central coastal city of Herzliya on September 10, 2023. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)

The head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency on Sunday said that Israel is prepared to strike “in the heart of Tehran” to track down the perpetrators of what he said were over two dozen Iranian attempts to hit Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.

Speaking at a security conference, David Barnea said that Israel and its allies had foiled 27 attacks over the past year in Europe, Africa, southeast Asia and South America.

“The plots being pursued by these teams were orchestrated, masterminded and directed by Iran,” Barnea told the conference at Reichman University. He added that “as we speak” Iran is trying to carry out additional attacks.

“Our message is loud and clear and determined,” he said. “Make no mistake, those of you who decided to dispatch the teams. Be assured that we will get to you, and justice will be done for all to see. This has been proven in the past, and in the future, we will ramp it up to the next level.”

Barnea said Israel would go after the agents involved in the plots as well as the commanders who sent them. “These prices will be exacted deep inside Iran, in the heart of Tehran,” he said.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, citing Iran’s calls for Israel’s destruction and its support for hostile militant groups on Israel’s borders. Israel also accuses Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapon — a charge Iran denies.



Venezuela Demands US Provide 'Proof of Life' of Maduro

This file photo shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during a rally in Caracas on December 1, 2025. © Juan Barreto, AFP
This file photo shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during a rally in Caracas on December 1, 2025. © Juan Barreto, AFP
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Venezuela Demands US Provide 'Proof of Life' of Maduro

This file photo shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during a rally in Caracas on December 1, 2025. © Juan Barreto, AFP
This file photo shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during a rally in Caracas on December 1, 2025. © Juan Barreto, AFP

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday called on the United States to issue "proof of life" of leader Nicolas Maduro who was captured by US forces, according to President Donald Trump, AFP reported.

Speaking by telephone to Venezuelan TV Rodriguez said she did not know the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a series of US strikes on Caracas and other cities.

Trump said Maduro and Flores had been captured by US forces and flown out of Venezuela.

The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack.
The legal authority for the strike — and whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand — was not immediately clear. The stunning, lightning-fast American military action, which plucked a nation’s sitting leader from office, echoed the US invasion of Panama that led to the surrender and seizure of its leader, Manuel Antonio Noriega, in 1990 — exactly 36 years ago Saturday.
UfS Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face charges after an indictment in New York.
Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET (0930 GMT) and said he would host a news conference at 11 a.m. ET (1600 GMT).


Power Outage Hits Berlin, Police Suspect Arson

The Berlin skyline is seen, during the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Berlin, Germany, April 1, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi
The Berlin skyline is seen, during the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Berlin, Germany, April 1, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi
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Power Outage Hits Berlin, Police Suspect Arson

The Berlin skyline is seen, during the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Berlin, Germany, April 1, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi
The Berlin skyline is seen, during the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Berlin, Germany, April 1, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi

Tens of thousands of homes were left without electricity in Berlin on Saturday after power cables were damaged by a fire police suspect was an arson attack.

Emergency services were alerted at 6:45 am (0545 GMT) that several cables on a bridge near a power plant in the German capital had gone up in flames, AFP reported.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze but about 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses in districts in southwest Berlin were left without power, according to grid operator Stromnetz Berlin.

Spokesman Henrik Beuster told AFP that the operator was "trying to gradually restore power" but when it would be back for everyone "is still unclear".

Police said in a post on X they had deployed about 160 officers to the site in the Lichterfelde area and were "investigating on suspicion of arson".

They warned affected residents that heating systems might not work due to the outage, urged them to use mobile phones sparingly and to ensure they have torches at hand.

Authorities also suspected arson when a blaze hit electricity pylons in Berlin in September, causing a widespread outage.

In that case, an unnamed anarchist group posted a claim of responsibility online for starting the blaze.

Germany has been on high alert for sabotage activities directed at its infrastructure, including from foreign actors such as Russia.


Iran Supreme Leader Says Will Not Yield as Protests Simmer and US Threatens

An Iranian woman walks past an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, 03 January 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
An Iranian woman walks past an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, 03 January 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
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Iran Supreme Leader Says Will Not Yield as Protests Simmer and US Threatens

An Iranian woman walks past an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, 03 January 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
An Iranian woman walks past an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, 03 January 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed not to yield after US President Donald Trump threatened to come to the aid of protesters, as ​rights groups reported a sharp rise in arrests following days of unrest sparked by soaring inflation.

Speaking in a recorded appearance on television on Saturday, Khamenei said the Islamic Republic "will not yield to the enemy" and said rioters should be "put in their place".

ECONOMIC CRISIS

Authorities have attempted to maintain a dual approach to the unrest, saying protests over the economy are legitimate and will be met ‌by dialogue, while ‌meeting some demonstrations with tear gas amid violent street confrontations.

"The ‌bazaaris ⁠were ​right. They ‌are right to say they cannot do business in these conditions," said Khamenei, referring to market traders' concerns over the currency slide.

"We will speak with the protesters but talking to rioters is useless. Rioters should be put in their place," he added.

The weeklong protests, have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the protests have yet to be as widespread and intense as those surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained over not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities.

Reports of violence have centered on small cities in Iran's western provinces, where several people have been killed. Authorities have said two members of the security services had died and more than a dozen were injured in the unrest. 

Rights groups say more than 10 people have been killed so far.

Hengaw, a Kurdish rights group, said ⁠late on Friday that it had identified 133 people arrested, an increase of 77 from the previous day.

The deaths overnight into Saturday involved a new level of violence. In Qom, a grenade exploded, killing a man there, the state-owned IRAN newspaper reported.

Online videos from Qom purportedly showed fires in the street overnight.

The second death happened in the town of Harsin, some 370 kilometers (230 miles) southwest of Tehran. There, the newspaper said a member of the Basij, the all-volunteer arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, died in a gun and knife attack in the town in Kermanshah province.

Demonstrations have reached over 100 locations in 22 of Iran’s 31 provinces, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported.