ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including Trump saying Iran ‘in big trouble,’ US watching protests closely; US boarding 5th tanker in crackdown on Venezuelan oil shipments and; the Syrian Army beginning operation against SDF in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood

TOP STORIES

Trump says Iran ‘in big trouble,’ US watching protests 'very carefully'

President Donald Trump said Iran is “in big trouble” as protests spread across the country, indicating the US is closely monitoring developments and warning Iranian authorities against using lethal force.

“Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We’re watching the situation very carefully.”

Noting his previous warning to Tehran, he said, “If they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved.”

“This is something pretty incredible that's happening in Iran. It's an amazing thing to watch,” he said. “They've done a bad job. They've treated their people very badly, and now they're being paid back.”

Trump added that any US response would not involve troops on the ground but would focus on measures that would “hit them very hard where it hurts.”

US boards 5th tanker in crackdown on Venezuelan oil shipments

The US Coast Guard boarded a fifth oil tanker as Washington intensified efforts to enforce sanctions on Venezuelan oil shipments, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

Noem said the Coast Guard executed a boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Olina in international waters, east of the Caribbean Sea.

"As another 'ghost fleet' tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil, this vessel had departed Venezuela attempting to evade U.S. forces," she wrote on US social media company X.

The operation was carried out with support from multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the State Department and the Justice Department, she said, adding that the interagency coordination ensured the boarding was conducted safely and in accordance with law.

Syrian Army begins operation against SDF in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood

The Syrian Army said it has begun a military operation in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo against the YPG/SDF terror organization after all deadlines granted to the group to withdraw from the area expired.

In a statement carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the army’s Operations Command said it attempted to halt SDF “violations” by reaching an agreement that would allow the group’s fighters to leave Sheikh Maqsoud with their weapons.

Instead, the army said, the SDF targeted evacuation buses on three occasions, shelled army positions and attacked soldiers, resulting in the death of three Syrian soldiers and the wounding of more than 12 others.

“An SDF policy of delay – accompanied by systematic shelling and attacks on civilian and military sites in Aleppo – has undermined the prospects of reaching any new agreement with the group,” the army said.

NEWS IN BRIEF

The three main parties involved in talks to form a new Dutch government have chosen to create a minority administration, a move that is unusual in the Netherlands, according to media reports.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for stronger cooperation with Washington after US President Donald Trump said he would soon launch attacks on cartels across the southern border.

Large-scale damage to public and private property was reported during overnight unrest in Iran, according to official statements and state media.

The UK, France and Germany said that they “strongly condemn” the killing of protesters in Iran.

Syrian internal security forces have facilitated the defection of 100 members of the terrorist organization YPG/SDF in the northern city of Aleppo, a security source told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Eight members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in protests in the western city of Kermanshah, said media reports.

EU member states approved a long-awaited free trade agreement with the South American trade bloc Mercosur despite opposition from several countries and ongoing farmers' protests across Europe, according to media reports.

The UN reiterated its serious alarm about escalating hostilities in Syria's northern city of Aleppo and warned that renewed fighting could further endanger civilians and disrupt humanitarian operations.

The Venezuelan government announced that it would begin an "exploratory process" to reestablish diplomatic ties with the US after the capture of now former President Nicolas Maduro.

A US team of diplomatic and security personnel traveled to Venezuela’s capital of Caracas to assess the possibility of resuming operations at the US Embassy, according to a State Department spokesperson.

A South Korean court postponed a hearing on the sentencing request for former President Yoon Suk Yeol for his short-lived attempt to impose martial law in 2024, delaying proceedings until next week.

A co-owner of the Swiss bar where 40 people were killed in a New Year's Eve fire has been taken into custody, according to media reports.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Inflation in Türkiye to drop below 20% by 2026

Türkiye's inflation will continue to decline, the main goal is to bring it below 20% by 2026, according to the treasury and finance minister.

Speaking at the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association's event in Istanbul, Mehmet Simsek said, "Of course, we cannot say it was an easy year. Because last year was truly a difficult year.

"But despite all the difficulties, we continued to make progress. I know that the balance sheet of the real sector may show a different picture. But ultimately, macrofinancial stability is a prerequisite for a lasting improvement in the balance sheet."