Better forecasts of weather processes in winter

Measurement campaign coordinated by KIT set to explore the dynamics of weather systems over the North Atlantic

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

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Research aircraft HALO in its parking position at Shannon airport. With its nose boom, it conducts airborne atmospheric pressure measurements. (Photo: Tuule Müürsepp, ETH Zurich)

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Credit: Tuule Müürsepp, ETH Zurich

Winter storms developing over the North Atlantic Ocean and extending to the shores of Western Europe tend to reach hurricane-like wind speeds, cause damage in the million range and, in extreme cases, put the life of people at risk. Last week, winter storm “Elli” showed the impact such weather systems can have even in Germany: train cancellations, traffic chaos, and school closures. “So far, it’s very challenging to accurately predict where and when such extreme weather events will strike and how strong their impact will be,” says Dr. Annika Oertel from KIT’s Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research – Troposphere Research (IMKTRO). Many of the physical processes that result in high-impact weather events in Europe have their origin over the Atlantic Ocean – an area insufficiently monitored by conventional observation systems so far.

 

The large-scale measurement campaign NAWDIC (North Atlantic Waveguide, Dry Intrusion, and Downstream Impact Campaign) aims to contribute to more reliable weather forecasts and climate models based on detailed data collected by aircraft and ground-based observation. “We are planning to take our measurements exactly in those regions for which indications suggest systematic shortcomings in our models,” says Dr. Andreas Schäfler from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), whose responsibilities include the coordination of the research flights.

 

How does the Atlantic Ocean Shape the Weather in Europe?

In particular, the researchers want to know how dry, cool air sinking downward from high altitudes – also termed dry intrusions – affects atmospheric circulation, cloud structures, and wind development. “If these dry air masses break through to the ground, they can produce strong gusts, turbulences, and severe weather,” says Dr. Julian Quinting from the Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology of the University of Cologne. The North Atlantic plays a key role as a source of moisture for much of the precipitation in Europe. “We know, however, that the processes involved with moisture absorption over the Atlantic Ocean, especially during dry intrusion events, have not been represented accurately in weather-forecast models yet. We want to change that,” adds Quinting.

 

Searching for Clues over the Atlantic Ocean

The campaign relies on the German research aircraft HALO, which is operated by the DLR. State-of-the-art remote sensing instruments, such as the WALES water vapor Lidar and the HEDWIG wind Lidar, measure moisture and wind beneath the aircraft up to a height of approx. 13 kilometers. This way, they document both the water vapor transport rate and the interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean. Advantageously, HALO is a long-range aircraft so that weather systems across the Atlantic Ocean can be sampled. Ground-based observations with KITcube, KIT’s mobile atmosphere observation system, which has been in operation already since November in Brittany, add to the aircraft measurements. KITcube is a network of remote sensing instruments that can capture atmospheric processes in a height ranging from a few meters up to 10 kilometers. More than one hundred national and international scientists will be busy during the next weeks, planning the flights taking off from Ireland, monitoring measuring devices, and coordinating the activities with international partners.

 

 

Thanks to the long-term planning over the last six years, in coordination with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the researchers managed to link up NAWDIC with other meteorological measurement campaigns in Northern America. Thus, up to ten research aircraft will be operating simultaneously in January and February – between the Pacific Ocean and Europe. “This is a unique opportunity to comprehensively analyze the dynamics and the interactions of weather systems,” says Oertel.

 

About NAWDIC

The IMKTRO manages the operation of HALO during the NAWDIC campaign and conducts the HALO flights in cooperation with the DLR, the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the LMU Munich, and the Forschungszentrum Jülich. NAWDIC further consists of other independent components that involve more than 30 institutions in Europe and Northern America. The project is officially endorsed by the WMO.

 

About HALO

HALO (High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft) is a joint initiative of German environmental and climate research institutions. HALO was funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the Helmholtz Association, the Max Planck Society (MPG), the Free State of Bavaria, Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZI), KIT, and the DLR. The operation of HALO is borne by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the MPG, the DLR, the FZJ, KIT and the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research in Leipzig. DLR (German Aerospace Center) owns and operates the aircraft. (era)

 

More information

More information on the KIT Center Climate, Environment and Resources

 

In close partnership with society, KIT develops solutions for urgent challenges – from climate change, energy transition and sustainable use of natural resources to artificial intelligence, sovereignty and an aging population. As The University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT unites scientific excellence from insight to application-driven research under one roof – and is thus in a unique position to drive this transformation. As a University of Excellence, KIT offers its more than 10,000 employees and 22,800 students outstanding opportunities to shape a sustainable and resilient future. KIT – Science for Impact.

HALO in the air near the French Atlantic coast on its way to fly over KITcube, KIT’s mobile ground measuring station in Brittany, France. (Photo: Simone Scheer, KIT)

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Simone Scheer, KIT

Louvre closes for third time in a month due to staff strike

A staff strike at the Louvre in Paris on Monday led to its closure for the third time in a month as trade unions pressed for more recruitment, higher pay and better maintenance of the museum. The prior closures in December and earlier in January resulted in a loss of "at least one million euros" in revenue, Louvre management said.


Issued on: 19/01/2026 - 
By: FRANCE 24

Workers at the Louvre have gone on strike three times in a month to demand better pay and conditions, and better maintenance of the museum. © Martin Lelievre, AF


The Louvre Museum said Monday it was shutting for the day, for the third time in a month, due to a strike by staff.

"The museum is not opening today," said a spokesperson for the most-visited museum in the world.

Trade unions are pressing for more recruitment, pay and better maintenance of the vast former royal palace, and have launched several days of strikes in recent months.

Nearly 140 new hires have been announced since the start of the strike movement in mid-December, and another meeting was scheduled at the culture ministry on Thursday to discuss salary increases.


Some union leaders were also contesting museum director Laurence des Cars' management style which they view as remote and inflexible.

WATCH MORELouvre and Versailles hike prices for foreign visitors: Who should pay for France’s heritage?

"If we get the pay but continue with this governance model, we won’t be out of the woods," Valerie Baud of the CFDT union said.

"There may be announcements, but we are still dealing with a management that digs its heels in and doesn’t recognise that it can sometimes be wrong,” added her colleague Elise Muller from the SUD union.

The two days of museum closures in December and earlier in January have resulted in a loss of "at least one million euros" in revenue, management said.

The security failures highlighted by a spectacular break-in at the museum on October 19 have cast a harsh spotlight on management of the institution and des Cars, who has apologised.

Footage of the heist was broadcast for the first time on French television on Sunday evening, showing the brazen jewel thieves breaking into display cases.

READ MOREMuseums around the world are on high alert following Louvre heist

The images, filmed by surveillance cameras, were shown by the TF1 and public France Televisions channels on Sunday evening, three months after the hugely embarrassing break-in in October.

They show the two burglars, one wearing a black balaclava and a yellow high-visibility jacket, the other dressed in black with a motorcycle helmet, as they force their way into the Apollo Gallery.

After breaking in through a reinforced window with high-powered disk cutters, they begin slicing into display cases under the eyes of several staff members who do not intervene.

Managers at the Louvre have stressed that staff are not trained to confront thieves and are asked to prioritise the evacuation of visitors.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Strike shuts Paris's Louvre again as video of jewel heist aired for first time

The Louvre museum was closed again Monday as staff continue their strike over pay and working conditions, three months after thieves stole crown jewels from the museum – footage of which was broadcast for the first time on French television Sunday night.


Issued on: 19/01/2026 - RFI

Visitors next to barriers blocking the Louvre plaza on 12 January 2026, when the museum was closed due to a strike, which employees decided to continue on Monday 19 January. © Martin Lelievre/AFP
Louvre employees have been demanding better pay, more recruitment, and improved maintenance of the museum, and their strike action has shut down the museum several times since mid December.

Two previous strike days resulted in a loss of "at least one million euros" in revenue, according to management.

While nearly 140 new hires have been announced since start of the strike movement, and a meeting is scheduled at the culture ministry on Thursday to discuss salary increases, some union leaders remain critical of director Laurence des Cars.

Her management style, which has been described as remote and inflexible, has come under criticism.

"If we get the pay but continue with this governance model, we won’t be out of the woods," Valerie Baud of the CFDT union said.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who plans to step down soon as she is running for Mayor of Paris, said Sunday that "major decisions" on the Louvre would be coming soon.

"I reviewed the organisation, the governance," Dati said, answering a question put to her about Des Cars on France Inter radio and public television.

Des Cars offered to resign a few hours after the spectacular break-in on 19 October, which Dati refused.

Images of brazen heist revealed

Surveillance camera footage of the robbery was broadcast for the first time on French television Sunday evening.

The footage showed the two burglars forcing their way into the Apollo Gallery and slicing into display cases under the eyes of several staff members who do not intervene.

After breaking in through a reinforced window with high-powered disk cutters, they begin slicing into display cases.

Managers at the Louvre have stressed that staff are not trained to confront thieves and are asked to prioritise the evacuation of visitors.

Four suspects are in police custody over the robbery, including the two suspected thieves, but the eight stolen items of French crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million (€87 million) have not been found.

During the roughly four minutes that the two men were inside the gallery, one staff member can be seen holding a bollard used to orient visitors through the gallery, according to France Televisions.

The images, as well as multiple DNA samples found at the scene, form a key part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the robbery.

Metal bars have been installed over the windows of the Apollo Gallery since the break-in.

(with AFP)

Freezing EU–US trade deal 'inevitable', Italian MEP Brando Benifei says

By Aida Sanchez Alonso & Méabh Mc Mahon

Published on 19/01/2026 -  EURONEWS

In an interview on Euronews' morning show, Europe Today, MEP Brando Benifei said diplomatic solutions to avoid a trade war "need to be used to the end".

MEP and Head of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the United States, told Euronews' morning show Europe Today that he does not expect an upcoming vote on the EU-US trade deal scheduled for next week to proceed.

 

"Inevitably, the vote that was foreseen next week in the trade committee of the European Parliament to actually advance the deal will be frozen," Benifei told Euronews. "I'm sure this will be the result."

US President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to impose new tariffs on eight European countries that don't support his plans to annex Greenland. He then left the NATO alliance reeling with a letter to Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre in which he said that he "no longer (felt) an obligation to think purely of Peace” when it comes to seizing the Danish territory.

After an emergency ambassadors meeting in Brussels on Sunday, several sources told Euronews that member states are prioritising diplomacy and dialogue with the US, but Benifei insisted there should be "a clear deadline" for establishing where Brussels and Washington's relationship stands.

"If in a few weeks we do not have clarity and an agreement on the future of Greenland, I think we need to be clear that the measures will be activated", he told Euronews.

One of those measures could be the anti-coercion instrument (ACI), a tool adopted in 2023 that has so far never been used. This would allow the bloc to punish unfriendly countries for "economic blackmail".

Relate

Benifei said diplomacy "must be used until the very end", but that "there must be an end".

"The problem of Europe is that the attempt to find a diplomatic solution, sometimes seems to never end. And this benefits, in this case, the US, who think we are not credible."

Benfei said he expects US counterparts to intervene and hopes "many more voices in the US Congress will raise to say that madness has to end, and that we need to sit down and work together as allies".

 

France and Germany push to use EU anti-coercion tools if Trump's new tariffs become reality

Copyright Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP

By Eleonora Vasques & Mared Gwyn Jones

Published on 19/01/2026 - EURONEWS

The German and French finance ministers said that the EU should be able to use all tools at its disposal if US president Donald Trump raises tariffs on European goods by 10% on 1 February.

German and French Finance Ministers Lars Klingbeil and Roland Lescure say they will push European partners to use all tools at their disposal, such as anti-coercion measures, if United States President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to increase tariffs on European goods by 10%.

The two ministers told journalists on Monday that they will make everything in their power to prevent these tariffs from being applied, but that if the US proceeds with its threat, the European Union must act accordingly.

Lescure called Trump's pressure "unacceptable" and said that tariffs should not be used as a weapon.

"Europe has to make sure that the threats that have been imposed don’t become reality," he said in Brussels. "We need to show that we’re willing to use all the instruments at our disposal, whether they are tariffs, trade agreements, or anti-coercion measures.”

Klingbel said that the severity of the situation must not be underestimated.

"Now it is time for our American friends to say 'we do not want escalation'. We also want many companies to avoid an escalation. But if President Trump does what he announced on February 1, then we have to react consciously."

Over the weekend, Trump said the US will increase tariffs on European goods by 10% if the bloc continues to oppose his efforts to take control of Greenland.

Related

• European markets drop, gold rises as Greenland tariff threat looms

Among the tools the EU can use there is the Anti-Coercion Instrument, which enables the bloc to punish unfriendly states for economic coercion by restricting them from participating in public procurement tenders, limiting trade licenses, and even shutting off access to the single market.

Adopted in 2023, the instrument has never been used, but the US president's escalating threats over the weekend prompted calls for the instrument to be deployed, including from French President Emmanuel Macron.

Former senior EU officials, including former Commissioners Paolo Gentiloni and Cecilia Malmström, have also backed deploying the instrument.

European allies hit back at US threat to start trade war over Greenland

European leaders have warned transatlantic ties are at risk after President Donald Trump's announcement that eight countries, including France, will face tariffs of up to 25 percent if they continue to oppose the United States' bid to acquire Greenland. French President Emmanuel Macron called the threats "unacceptable".


Issued on: 18/01/2026 - RFI

People protest against President Donald Trump's efforts to take over Greenland in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on 17 January 2026. © AP - Evgeniy Maloletka

EU countries held crisis talks on Sunday after Trump said that he would charge a 10 percent import tax from February on goods from eight European countries that are resisting American control of Greenland – France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland.

The rate would climb to 25 percent on 1 June if no deal was in place for "the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland" by the US, he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.

An emergency meeting of EU ambassadors took place in Brussels on Sunday.

Macron will ask the European Union to activate its powerful "Anti-Coercion Instrument" if the US imposes tariffs, his team said before the talks.

The bloc's weapon – dubbed its trade "bazooka" – allows the EU to impose tariffs and investment limits on countries exerting economic pressure on member states to force them to change policy. It has never been used before.

France to open Greenland consulate amid Trump takeover threats

'Dangerous downward spiral'

France is one of several countries that has deployed troops to the autonomous Danish territory in response to Washington's ambitions. Paris says the European military exercise is designed to show the world that it will defend Greenland.

"Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context," President Macron wrote in a post on X, saying that France and its European allies would present a united response.

"No intimidation or threat can influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world... We will ensure that European sovereignty is respected," Macron said.

All eight countries named by Trump issued a joint statement saying they backed Denmark and Greenland, and that their military exercise posed no danger to others.

"Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," it said. "We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty."

In a similarly worded statement, EU leaders said the bloc "stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland".

Day of protests

Trump's threats came as thousands of people protested in the capital of Greenland against his drive to acquire the island, rich in rare minerals and a gateway to the Arctic.

Thousands more demonstrated in Copenhagen and other Danish cities.

People attend a protest against President Donald Trump's demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the US, in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on 17 January 2026. © REUTERS - Marko Djurica


Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States needs Greenland for US "national security", while alleging without evidence that China and Russia are trying to control it.

It was not immediately clear what authority the US president would invoke to impose the threatened tariffs, nor how he would target individual EU countries when the 27 members trade as a bloc.

If carried out, Trump's threats against NATO partners would create unprecedented tension within the military alliance, already under strain.

"In this escalation of tariffs, he has a lot to lose as well, as do his own farmers and industrialists," French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard told broadcasters Europe 1 and CNews on Sunday.

The tariff announcement even drew criticism from Trump's populist allies in France.

Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally party, posted that the EU should suspend last year's deal to avert stiffer US tariffs on European goods, describing Trump’s threats as "commercial blackmail".

That deal, which the European Parliament had been set to ratify by next month, now faces rejection by lawmakers.

(with newswires)

What is the EU anti-coercion 'bazooka' it could use against the US over Greenland?

The EU's anti-coercion instrument, which French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday mentioned activating after US President Donald Trump's tariffs threats regarding Greenland, is a trade tool that the bloc adopted in 2023 but has never used. Compared by some to a “bazooka”, it aims to respond to any country using trade weapons to pressure an EU member state.


Issued on: 19/01/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a media conference at the EU Summit in Brussels on December 19, 2025. © Geert Vanden Wijngaert, AP

Calls are growing louder for the EU to deploy its powerful "anti-coercion instrument" in response to US President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs in the standoff over Greenland.

Trump stunned Europe on Saturday when he vowed to slap EU members Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden – and non-members Britain and Norway – with levies of up to 25 percent unless the Danish territory is ceded to the US.

French President Emmanuel Macron has raised the prospect of hitting back with the EU's trade weapon that was established in 2023 but has never been activated.

READ MORETrump tariff threats over Greenland prompt calls for unprecedented EU counter-measures


The leader of the liberal Renew group in the European Parliament, Valerie Hayer, also called for the weapon to be used.

Referred to as a "bazooka" or "nuclear" option, the instrument is intended to deter economic coercion against any of the EU's 27 member states.

The EU defines coercion as a third country "applying – or threatening to apply – measures affecting trade or investment", thereby interfering "with the legitimate sovereign choices" of the EU and member states.

How can Europe respond to Trump's tariff threats over Greenland?

© France 24
06:23

What does the instrument do?

The armoury allows the EU to take measures such as import and export restrictions on goods and services in its single market of 450 million people.

It also gives Brussels the power to limit American companies' access to public procurement contracts in Europe.

The EU last year threatened to use the weapon during difficult trade negotiations with Trump to avoid steep levies but the two sides struck a deal.

A major target could be American tech giants since the US has a services surplus with the EU.

Brussels previously drew up a list of US services to potentially target.

The instrument's creation came after Lithuania accused China of banning its exports because Vilnius allowed a Taiwanese diplomatic representation to be opened on its soil in 2021.

How does it work?

Both the commission and member states have the right to seek its activation, but it would then need the green light of at least 55 percent of the member countries voting in favour, representing 65 percent of the bloc's population.

Even if Brussels were to activate the weapon, it could take months before any measures were taken, according to the rules.

First, the European Commission has four months to investigate the third country accused of detrimental trade policies – then member states would have eight to 10 weeks to back any proposal for action.

Only then would the commission have a green light to prepare measures, to take effect within six months. The EU says the timeframe is indicative.

But even just triggering an investigation under the instrument would send a powerful message that Brussels is willing to fight back against its important ally.

"The United States is making a miscalculation that is not only dangerous but could be painful," Renew group's Hayer said in a statement.

"The anti-coercion instrument is our economic nuclear weapon," she said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Trump also has 'a lot to lose' from threatened tariffs over Greenland, French minister says

French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard warned Sunday that US President Trump's proposed tariffs on European countries opposing his plans to purchase Greenland would be "deadly for the United States". Trump on Saturday threatened a 10-percent tariff from February 1 on all goods sent to the US from eight European countries, including France.


Issued on: 18/01/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

France's Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard leaves after attending the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysée Presidential Palace, in Paris, on January 14, 2026. © Ludovic Marin, AFP file photo

The United States will also suffer if President Donald Trump implements threats to impose tariffs on European countries opposing his plans to acquire Greenland, a French minister said on Sunday.

"In this escalation of tariffs, he has a lot to lose as well, as do his own farmers and industrialists," French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard told broadcasters Europe 1 and CNews.

Trump has threatened to impose a 10-percent tariff from February 1 on all goods sent to the United States from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland.

EU looks to present united front in response to US 'blackmail'

© France 24
04:05


All are part of the European Union, except for the United Kingdom and Norway.

That levy would then be increased to 25 percent on June 1 "until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland", said Trump, who claims the United States needs the Arctic island, an autonomous Danish territory, for its national security.
'It could also be deadly for the United States'

An extraordinary meeting of EU ambassadors has been called in Brussels for Sunday afternoon.

"The European Union has a potential strike force" from a commercial standpoint, Genevard said.

"This is a response that must be handled with caution, because this escalation could be deadly – but it could also be deadly for the United States."

Any US takeover of Greenland would be "unacceptable," the minister added.

"It is clear that the Europeans will not let the United States do as it pleases."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Europe's pro-Trump leaders tread carefully as Greenland crisis grows

By Sandor Zsiros

Published on 19/01/2026 EURONEWS

Hungary's Viktor Orbán, Slovakia's Robert Fico, and Andrej Babiš from the Czech Republic will play a crucial role in any joint EU response to the Trump administration's threats.

As pressure mounts to calibrate a joint European Union response to the United States's threats over Greenland, EU leaders with ties to US President Donald Trump have yet to push back hard against his latest statements.

Trump threatened on Saturday to impose a 10% extra tariff on goods from European countries that oppose the sale of the Arctic island to the US, and warned that if the US has not been allowed to purchase Greenland by June 1, the rate will be hiked to 25%.

As the EU scrambles for ways to deal with the situation, the process of reaching a joint EU position could depend on three countries in particular: Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic..

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico met Trump in Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, the same day that Trump issued his latest tariff threats on social media. Speaking on a flight back to Slovakia, Fico hailed the two countries' bilateral ties, adding that both Trump and he were critical of the EU.

"We did not avoid the assessment of the EU, its competitiveness, energy and migration policy, while there was a complete agreement in viewing the EU as an institution in deep crisis,” Fico said in a video released on Sunday – not mentioning Greenland or expressing solidarity with the countries Trump directly threatened.

On Sunday, meanwhile, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán announced he had received a letter from Trump inviting him to join the Board of Peace, a body aimed at helping establish post-war administration and reconstruction in Gaza.

“With President Donald Trump comes peace. Another letter has arrived. Hungary’s efforts for peace are being recognised. President Trump has invited Hungary to join the work of The Board of Peace as a founding member,” Orbán tweeted.

But the Hungarian government has kept silent over Trump's latest threats. Orbán has previously said that the issue of Greenland can be discussed inside NATO and need not prompt an international crisis.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš posted on X on Monday afternoon to say there is no question that Greenland is an autonomous Danish territory, but he stopped short of calling for pushback against Trump's threats.

"There is no doubt about that. But we will support dialogue, not declarations," Babiš wrote. "Foreign policy is about diplomacy, not about who posts the stronger statement on social media."

Earlier, Babiš gave an interview to a conservative Hungarian website, Mandiner, where he said Trump is not helping Europe, but helping the US with his program to "make America great again".

Babiš also described himself as one of the biggest European supporters of Trump, also naming Orbán and Polish President, Karol Nawrocki.

One outlier in Europe's pro-Trump right is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who on Sunday criticised Trump’s stance as a “mistake” that could be the result of a misunderstanding.

"The prediction of a tariff increase against nations that have chosen to contribute to Greenland's security is a mistake, and I don't agree with it," Meloni said during a visit to South Korea.

Relate

The President of the European Council, António Costa, is convening a special EU summit on Thursday evening to discuss the Greenland issue and agree a collective response.

The agreement of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic will be needed, and their positions are as yet unknown.

But according to Fabian Zuleg, Chief Executive at the European Policy Centre, unity cannot become an excuse for paralysis when it comes to Greenland.

"If unity cannot be achieved, those governments that are unwilling to act – such as Hungary, but also others on a case-by-case basis – must be excluded, and exclusion must have consequences", he said, arguing that states blocking collective action at the European level should no longer be able to benefit fully from shared defence, security cooperation or industrial investment.

"Solidarity is a two-way street and not unconditional."

‘I saw 12 people collapsed in a pool of blood’: Eyewitness describes Iran’s deadly crackdown

INTERVIEW

A Tehran resident who took part in the protests that have roiled Iran before fleeing the country has described a deadly crackdown – with security forces firing indiscriminately at protesters with machine guns and assault rifles – in an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24.


Issued on: 16/01/2026 
FRANCE24
By: Mariam PIRZADEH

Protesters take part in a 12th night of protests in the streets of Tehran on January 8, 2026. © Stringer via Reuters

Iran has been largely shut off from the outside world since the authorities cut internet access last week in an attempt to smother massive nationwide protests against the country’s theocratic regime.

Activists say at least 2,637 people have been killed in a brutal crackdown on the protest movement, which kicked off in late December with demonstrations against crippling price rises before escalating into a broader challenge to Iran’s Islamist rulers.

FRANCE 24’s Mariam Pirzadeh spoke to a Tehran resident who took part in some of the largest protests between January 8-10, when the regime dramatically stepped up its deadly riposte.

The eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity and has now sought refuge in Europe, described seeing paramilitary forces fire indiscriminately into the crowds of protesters, seemingly aiming to kill.

He also said he witnessed demonstrators call for the return of the shah, Iran’s pre-revolution monarch, and spoke of their hopes that US President Donald Trump would make good on his promise to come to the “rescue” of protesting Iranians.

Read his account below.

“I went out to protest on Thursday, January 8. There were so many people, I had never seen anything like it. There were millions of us in Tehran. I set off from a northern neighbourhood of the capital; there were people in every street, every thoroughfare. It was extraordinary.

There were mothers with strollers, lots of women, some in chadors (full-body garments that cover the head) shouting “Javid Shah!” (“Long live the shah!”), which was unimaginable for me to see. We were all shouting: “Death to the dictator, death to (Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali) Khamenei!”

There was obviously a lot of anger, but we were all peaceful protesters. We felt safe because there were so many of us, united. We told ourselves that they couldn't shoot us. The security forces were there, watching us.”

‘They aimed for the head and torso’

“I later learned that the security forces had assembled outside Tehran, in Karaj (a town northwest of the capital) in particular. At the end of the march, they opened fire.

The next day, on Friday, even more of us turned out to protest. And there were a lot of them (security forces) on the other side. They began by firing tear gas and flash-balls (a handheld projectile launcher) using metal pellets.

They rode motorcycles in pairs, one driving, the other shooting indiscriminately into the crowd. They aimed for the head and torso, to hit the protesters’ eyes and lungs. Everyone ran away, trying to regroup elsewhere.

IN THE PRESS © FRANCE 24
05:22

The next day, there were more gatherings, with lots of young people. They were ready to fight, with stones in their hands, but the other side had machine guns.

The security forces changed their strategy on Saturday (January 10), riding their motorcycles into smaller streets where people gathered, shooting and then moving on to the next street. I was in a shop when I saw them firing machine guns and assault rifles at a group of people. Twelve people collapsed before my eyes, in a pool of blood.

A friend of mine lost his three children, ages 17, 20 and 23. He found the bodies of his two sons first, and later that of his daughter. She had been shot three times.

The Basij (pro-regime paramilitary force) demanded 400 million tomans per bullet, the equivalent of €2,700 (to recover her body). They said they would declare that she was a Basij, to inflate casualty numbers among the regime's forces, if he couldn't afford to pay.”

‘We are all thirsty for revenge’

“My friend refused. His relatives raised the money to recover the bodies of his three children. Everyone refuses, there is a real spirit of mutual aid.

The dead are so numerous they arrive in dozens of tipper trucks at the morgues and cemeteries. Everyone knows someone who has lost a loved one.

There is no turning back, we want to put an end to the Islamic Republic. I feel once again the atmosphere of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 (which toppled the previous regime).

At the airport, I saw families of regime officials leaving the country. It's impossible to quantify, but some are afraid. We’re living a revolution: We are all thirsty for revenge, we are filled with burning anger.

The only solution for Iranians I talk to, and myself, is Donald Trump: we are waiting for him, like the Messiah.”

This article was translated from the French original by Benjamin Dodman.

Iran's protests wane amid crackdown as US backs off intervention threats


The Iranian authorities' crackdown on nationwide protests has largely quieted the movement for now, residents said, as US President Donand Trump appears to have backed down from his threats of attacking Iran's leadership. Trump claimed on Friday that Iran had called off mass executions, while state media said that protesters were still being arrested.


Issued on: 16/01/2026 
FRANCE 24
Video by:  Siavosh GHAZI

Iran's deadly crackdown appears to have broadly quelled protests for now, residents said on Friday, as ⁠state media reported more arrests in the shadow of repeated US threats to intervene if the killing continues.

US President Donald Trump, whose repeated threats to act had included a vow to "take very strong action" if Iran executed protesters, said Tehran's leaders had called off mass hangings.

"I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!" he posted on social media.

Iran has not publicly announced ​plans for such executions or said it had cancelled them.

Iran protest movement subsides amid intense crackdown

© FRANCE 24
01:12

The protests erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and swelled into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule, culminating in mass violence at the end ‍of last week.

According to opposition groups and an Iranian official, more than 2,000 people were killed in the worst domestic unrest since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

But several residents of Tehran reached by Reuters said the capital had now been comparatively quiet for four days.

Drones were flying over the city, but there had been no ​sign of major protests on Thursday or Friday. Another resident in a northern city on the Caspian Sea said the streets there also appeared calm. The residents declined to be identified ​for their safety.

Prospect of US attack retreats

The prospect of a US attack has retreated since Wednesday, when Trump said he had been told killings in Iran were easing. But more US military assets were expected to arrive in the region, showing the continued tensions.

US allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, conducted intense diplomacy with Washington this week to prevent a US strike, warning of repercussions for the wider region that would ultimately impact the United States, a Gulf official said.

Israel's intelligence chief David Barnea was also in the US on Friday for talks on Iran, according to a source familiar with the matter, and an Israeli military official said the country's forces were on "peak readiness".

As an internet blackout eased this week, more accounts of the violence have trickled out.

The US is expected to send additional offensive and defensive capabilities to the region, but the exact makeup of those forces and the timing of their arrival was still unclear, a US official said speaking on condition of anonymity.

The US military's Central Command declined to comment, saying it does not discuss ship movements.

Pahlavi calls for increased pressure

Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's last shah who has gained increasing prominence as an opposition figure, on Friday urged the international community to ramp up pressure on Tehran to help protesters overthrow clerical rule.

"The Iranian people are taking decisive action on the ground. It is now time for the international community to join them fully," said Pahlavi, whose level of support inside Iran is hard to gauge.

Trump this week appeared to ‌downplay the idea of US backing for Pahlavi, voicing uncertainty that the exiled royal heir who has courted support among Western countries could muster significant backing inside Iran. Pahlavi met US envoy Steve Witkoff last weekend, Axios reported.

Iranian-Kurdish rights group Hengaw said that there had been no protest gatherings since Sunday, but "the security environment remains highly restrictive".

"Our independent sources confirm a heavy military and security presence in ‍cities and towns where protests previously took place, as well as in several locations that did not experience major demonstrations," Norway-based Hengaw said in comments to Reuters.

Reports of sporadic unrest

There were, however, still indications of unrest in some areas. Hengaw reported that a female nurse was killed by direct gunfire from government forces during protests in Karaj, west of Tehran. Reuters was not able to independently verify the report.

The state-affiliated Tasnim news outlet reported that rioters had set fire to a local education office in Falavarjan County, in central Isfahan Province, on Thursday.

An elderly resident of a town in Iran's northwestern region, where many Kurdish Iranians live and which has been the focus for many of the biggest flare-ups, said sporadic protests had continued, though not as intensely.

Describing violence earlier in the protests, she said: "I have not seen scenes like that before."

Video circulating online, which Reuters was able to verify as having been recorded in a forensic medical center in Tehran, showed dozens of bodies lying on floors and stretchers, most in bags but some uncovered. Reuters could not verify the date of the ‍video.

The state-owned Press TV cited Iran's police chief as saying calm had been restored across the country.

A death toll reported by U.S.-based rights group HRANA has increased little since Wednesday, now at 2,677 people, including 2,478 protesters and 163 people identified as affiliated with the government.

Reuters has not been ‌able to independently verify the HRANA death toll. ​An Iranian official told the news agency earlier this week that about 2,000 people had been killed.

The casualty numbers dwarf the death toll from previous bouts of unrest that have been suppressed by the state, including in 2009 and 2022.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

Iran protest movement subsides in face of ‘brutal’ crackdown

By AFP
January 16, 2026


Iranians outside of the counry have also protested against the government as it cracked down on rallies - Copyright AFP KAREN MINASYAN
Stuart Williams

The protest movement in Iran has subsided after a crackdown that has killed thousands under an internet blackout, monitors said Friday, one week after the start of the biggest protests in years challenging the Islamic republic’s theocratic system.

The threat of new military action by the United States against Iran has also appeared to have receded for the time being, with a Saudi official saying Gulf allies have persuaded President Donald Trump to give the Iranian leadership a “chance”.

Protests sparked by economic grievances started with a shutdown in the Tehran bazaar on December 28 but turned into a mass movement demanding the removal of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution.

People started pouring into the streets in big cities from January 8 but authorities immediately enforced a shutdown of the internet that has lasted over a week and activists say is aimed at masking the scale of the crackdown.

The repression has “likely suppressed the protest movement for now”, said the US-based Institute for the Study of War, which has monitored the protest activity.

But it added: “The regime’s widespread mobilisation of security forces is unsustainable, however, which makes it possible that protests could resume.”

Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) says 3,428 protesters have been verified to have been killed by security forces, but warns this could be a fraction of the actual toll.

Its director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said authorities under supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have “committed one of the gravest crimes of our time”.

He cited “horrifying eyewitness accounts” received by IHR of “protesters being shot dead while trying to flee, the use of military-grade weapons and the street execution of wounded protesters”.

Lama Fakih, programme director at Human Rights Watch, said the killings since last week “are unprecedented in the country”.

Monitor Netblocks said that the “total internet blackout” in Iran had now lasted over 180 hours, longer than a similar measure that was imposed during 2019 protests.



– ‘Give Iran a chance’ –



Trump, who backed and joined Israel’s 12-day war against Iran in June, had not ruled out new military action against Tehran and made clear he was keeping a close eye on if any protesters were executed.

But with the belligerent rhetoric on all sides appearing to tone down for now, a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led “a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intention”.

While Washington appeared to have stepped back, the White House said Thursday that “all options remain on the table for the president”.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that “the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted”.

Iran is the most prolific user of capital punishment after China. But there has been no suggestion from Iranian authorities — or rights activists who have repeatedly condemned a recent surge in hangings before the protest wave — that so many people were due to be executed in a single day.

Attention had focused on the fate of a single protester, Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old who rights activists and Washington said was set to be executed as early as Wednesday.

The Iranian judiciary confirmed Soltani was under arrest but said he had not been sentenced to death and his charges meant he did not risk capital punishment.



– ‘All Iranians united’ –



Asked about a New York Times report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Trump against strikes, Leavitt said: “Look, it’s true that the president spoke with (him), but I would never give details about their conversation without… the express approval by the president himself.”

The US Treasury also announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials on Thursday including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security.

Despite the internet shutdown, new videos from the height of the protests, with locations verified by AFP, showed bodies lined up in the Kahrizak morgue south of Tehran, as distraught relatives searched for loved ones.

At the UN Security Council in New York, Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, invited to address the body by Washington, said “all Iranians are united” against the clerical system in Iran.

Iran’s representative at the meeting Gholamhossein Darzi accused Washington of “exploitation of peaceful protests for geopolitical purposes.”

Iran's internet shutdown inflicts $60mn daily economic losses

Iran's internet shutdown inflicts $60mn daily economic losses. / bne IntelliNews

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By bnm Tehran bureau January 16, 2026

Iran's nationwide internet blackout is costing the country potentially $60mn daily as the shutdown enters its second week, with the cumulative damage already exceeding $700mn-$840mn, according to calculations based on macroeconomic data reported on January 16.

The nationwide connectivity cut commenced on January 8, following twelve days of nationwide protests. Following the government’s internet crackdown, protests continued to swell across major cities, including Astara, Shiraz, Isfahan, and the capital of Tehran.

The disruption has severed access to e-commerce platforms, online banking services and global trade networks as authorities maintain restrictions amid ongoing demonstrations. Iran's digital economy contributes between 6% and 6.5% of gross domestic product, valued at $27bn-$29bn annually from a projected 2026 GDP of $452bn, according to Emerging Markets intelligence research shared with bne IntelliNews.

With internet penetration at more than 80% across 92mn people, representing 73mn active users, the shutdown has eliminated digital sector output entirely, with those who use social media platforms particularly affected in recent days.

E-commerce platforms valued at $107bn in 2024 are facing significant disruption, with forecasts for 2025 projecting growth to $180bn by March 2026.

The sudden shutdown at the beginning of January forced people to use regular telephone lines inside the country to conduct business, which has dramatically damaged all sectors of the economy, the report noted.

Social media platforms including Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp, which handle 83% of small business sales, remain blocked alongside broader internet access.

Payment processing volumes have declined between 50% and 90% during the outage, with limited offline alternatives available for small and medium enterprises, according to internal data.

Previous internet disruptions provide context for the current damage. A 2019 blackout cost Iran $1.5bn over one week, whilst restrictions between 2022 and 2023 tallied $1.6bn across 17 months.

Recent disruptions during a 2025 conflict with Israel resulted in $170mn losses over one month, Bloomberg reported in July.

The shutdown occurs as Iran confronts currency devaluation, trade challenges and protest-related capital flight wit the rial trading near an historic low of IRR1.42mn against the US dollar and above IRR1.65mn against the euro, the latest available data shows.

According to the EMI report, the technology sector is under pressure as startups close operations, undermining the government's ambitions to expand the digital economy's contribution to national output.

Protesters have had limited connectivity via Elon Musk's Starlink satellite services, though these appear to be few and far between and not used as part of a commercial connection for most businesses. 

Two weeks of restrictions already represent 0.2% of projected annual GDP, according to monitoring data from Cloudflare.

Iran's ongoing internet blackout has exceeded 190 hours of continuous disruption, surpassing the core duration of the 2019 shutdown, according to NetBlocks' monitoring data earlier on January 16. 

Most Iranian government websites still exist and function over the "National Information Network" or local intranet, but foreign networks, users will only reliably see stubs or gated front pages for a handful of top‑level portals and state media mirrors, with the bulk of .ir government content effectively dark to the outside world at present.

On January 12, Iranian security forces reportedly escalated their crackdown by conducting house-to-house searches to confiscate satellite dishes and Starlink internet equipment, targeting the limited technological resources available to citizens for accessing external communications.

Day 20 Of Iran Uprising: Zahedan Rises Despite Siege – OpEd

January 17, 2026

By Mahmoud Hakamian

The nationwide uprising against the religious dictatorship in Iran has reached its twentieth day on Friday, January 16, 2026. Following a nineteenth day marked by the revelation of over 50,000 arrests and the regime’s use of drones to hunt down civilians, the people have shown no signs of backing down.

On Friday, the brave people of Zahedan took to the streets once again, defying a massive security crackdown. Simultaneously, the mullahs’ regime faces deepening diplomatic isolation for its crimes against humanity.

Day 20 Roundup: PMOI identifies martyrs, Zahedan protests, and direct fire in Dezful

On Friday, January 16, 2026, the twentieth day of the uprising saw the Baluch compatriots in Zahedan challenging the regime’s authority, while the PMOI released the identities of brave Resistance Unit members killed by suppressive forces.

Key highlights from today include:

• PMOI Identifies Martyrs: The PMOI has released the names and details of several Resistance Unit members killed by regime fire, including an 18-year-old student in Tehran and three young workers in Kermanshah.
• Zahedan Uprising: Despite a heavy military siege and mass arrests, the people of Zahedan took to the streets after Friday prayers, chanting “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator.”

• Direct Fire in Dezful: Shocking video footage newly obtained from Dezful confirms that repressive forces used live ammunition in previous days, aiming directly at the heads of protesters in Sa’at Square.
• Record Internet Blackout: The total internet shutdown has now exceeded 180 hours, surpassing the duration of the 2019 blackout, with no sign of restoration.
• Portugal Closes Embassy: In a blow to the regime’s diplomatic standing, Portugal announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran due to the “context of tension.”
• US Congress Support: 59 bipartisan Members of Congress sent a letter rejecting both the current theocratic regime and the former monarchical dictatorship, supporting a secular, democratic republic.

PMOI publishes names of Resistance Unit members killed by regime

As the regime attempts to hide the true cost of the uprising behind an internet blackout, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) continues to break through the censorship. The PMOI has identified several members of its Resistance Units who have been killed by direct regime fire during the protests.

These martyrs, ranging from university students to young workers, exemplify the courage of a generation determined to end the dictatorship. The identified martyrs are:

• Zahra (Raha) Bohlouli-Pour: 18 years old, a student at the University of Tehran. She was shot dead on January 8, 2026, in Fatemi Street, Tehran.
• Yasin Mirzaei Qaleh Zanjiri: A student shot dead on January 8, 2026, in Kermanshah.
• Reza Ghanbari: 17 years old, a worker. He was killed during clashes on January 3, 2026, in Kermanshah.
• Rasoul Kadivarian: 17 years old, a worker. He was killed during clashes on January 3, 2026, in Kermanshah.
• Reza Kadivarian: 20 years old, a worker. He was killed during clashes on January 3, 2026, in Kermanshah.
• Diar Pour-Chehriq: 32 years old, self-employed, from Salmas. He was shot dead on January 9, 2026, at Keshavarz Boulevard in Tehran.

Zahedan: “Death to Khamenei” echoes despite martial law atmosphere

On Friday, January 16, the brave people of Zahedan turned the weekly Friday prayers into a major protest against the regime. Reports indicate that the city has been under a heavy security siege for days.

The regime deployed a large number of forces around the Makki Mosque to control the crowds. Checkpoints were established at the city’s entrances and main streets, where citizens were subjected to body searches and inspection of their mobile phones.

Despite these repressive measures and the ongoing wave of arrests, citizens took to the streets after prayers, chanting “Death to Khamenei.” Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), saluted the people of Zahedan, stating that their demonstration “stands as a clear expression of the Iranian people’s firm resolve to bring down this criminal regime.”

Crimes against humanity in Dezful: Shooting to kill

Harrowing video footage obtained from Dezful, Khuzestan province, reveals the sheer brutality of the regime’s forces. In Sa’at Square (Imam Square), armed agents were filmed firing live ammunition directly at unarmed protesters. The footage indicates that the forces were aiming specifically at the heads of the demonstrators without any prior warning.

Diplomatic Isolation: Portugal closes embassy; US Congress rejects Shah and Mullahs

The international community is increasingly isolating the regime. Portugal has announced the closure of its embassy in Tehran, citing “tension” and the violent repression of demonstrations. The Portuguese Foreign Minister also stated readiness to join EU sanctions against the regime.

Meanwhile, a significant bipartisan letter from 59 U.S. Members of Congress to State Secretary Marco Rubio has clarified the stance of the American legislature regarding Iran’s future. The lawmakers emphasized that the Iranian people want a “secular, democratic, non-nuclear republic” and explicitly noted that Iranians have “rejected all forms of authoritarian rule, whether Iran’s former monarchy dictatorship or its current theocratic system.”

Global condemnation continues to pour in. Marko Mihkelson, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament, described the current crackdown as “the bloodiest suppression of protests in modern history,” while Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the brutality and advised Australians to leave Iran.

Internet blackout exceeds 2019 record

As the regime attempts to conceal its crimes, the internet blackout in Iran has now surpassed the duration of the infamous 2019 shutdown. NetBlocks confirmed that after 180 hours, there is still no restoration of connectivity. It is worth noting that in 2019, the true scale of the massacre only became known after the internet was restored.

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Mahmoud Hakamian

Mahmoud Hakamian writes for The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI),

 also known as Mujahedin-e-Khalgh (MEK)

  A timeline of events in Iran: From cost-of-living protests to political revolt

Issued on: 15/01/2026 

04:59 min

Iranians began taking to the streets in late December. What initially began with protests against the spiralling cost of living has grown into a nationwide protest movement against the country's theocracy led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, authorities have cracked down hard. Will these protests lead to the end of the regime that has ruled Iran for 45 years? Our France 2 colleagues chronicle the events of the last two weeks, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.