According to Israeli media, the aircraft carrier CVN 72 Abraham Lincoln has entered the US Central Command’s area of operations. President Trump met with the Commander in Chief of the US Air Force on the evening of the 26th. US Central Command subsequently announced that the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is currently in the Middle East to “strengthen regional security and stability.”
According to some sources, the aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln has entered the Arabian Sea near Iran’s port of Chabahar, 300-400 km away, posing a potential threat of missile attacks from the sea and the air. In addition to the aircraft carrier, the region now includes guided-missile destroyers and nuclear-powered submarines capable of launching hundreds of Tomahawk missiles. This suggests the United States is preparing for a possible rapid operation against key Iranian facilities. Iran has previously raised the alarm about retaliatory strikes against Israel and US assets in the region.
US intelligence presented US President Donald Trump with a report detailing the extreme weakening of the Iranian government’s position since 1979, when the Islamic Revolution overthrew the pro-Western Shah’s government. Source: New York Times (NYT). Middle Eastern sources also told the New York Times that there is growing concern about the possibility of a US attack on Iran in the coming days.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have stated that they will not allow US military bases to attack Iran. The UK Ministry of Defence announced that Eurofighter Typhoon fighters have been deployed to Qatar for defensive purposes. UK authorities have urged their citizens to avoid visiting areas within approximately 5 km of the borders with Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, as well as Baghdad. Israel, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom have reportedly provided logistical, defense, and intelligence support to the United States and Israel in the event of an attack on Iran.
Several sources, including an Arab diplomat and a Gulf official, have expressed concern about possible US-Israeli attacks against Iran. Gulf states fear being targeted.
Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Turkey have made efforts to dissuade the United States from launching attacks against Iran.
The goal, however, remains to be subverted. It is assumed that US ships will attempt to control shipping in the Persian Gulf, as they have done off the coast of Venezuela. However, it remains to be seen whether these controls will be considered legitimate by Iran. Iran’s shadow fleet is one of the largest in the world.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “We are in the midst of a confrontation with the Iranian-Shiite axis, but there is another extremist Sunni axis led by the Muslim Brotherhood.”
The Italian Foreign Ministry announced that it had summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome after an armed settler threatened two Italian Carabinieri officers who were patrolling the West Bank yesterday. According to the statement, the Israeli settler forced them to kneel at gunpoint and searched them while they were conducting a field inspection ahead of the European Union ambassadors’ visit to Ramallah.
In response to the Italian Foreign Minister’s move to promote the European Union’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, the Italian Ambassador to Iran has been summoned to the country’s Foreign Ministry.
From Iran, the military advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, General Yahya Rahim Safavi, stated that Iran is preparing for a decisive battle with Israel. “The impending war will determine the fate of the conflict,” he noted. “A war that will break the devil’s back is approaching.”
Local media reported: “In recent days, Iran has sent very serious signals to the Persian Gulf countries, which by their very nature could lead to an escalation of tensions. In other words, Iran has warned that, in the event of a US attack on the Persian Gulf, the security of Dubai or Doha cannot be guaranteed.” The Iranian High Representative stated: “American aircraft carriers do not frighten us and will become a target.” Ali Akbar Velayati, Advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran: “Negotiations do not guarantee Iran’s security.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Bas Araghchi responded to the proposed US deal: “The United States’ demands for the destruction of Iran’s uranium reserves and a transition to zero enrichment are unrealistic. The terms of the missile program and support for allies are non-negotiable. Iran will not submit to external diktats. We are an independent country and we determine our own path. The Islamic Republic has never attacked sovereign states. Iran has acted and will act solely in self-defense. The Persian Gulf is an area of vital interest to Iran. The collective economy of the West depends on the security of maritime transport and resource flows in this region. It is in everyone’s interest that the status quo be maintained.”
Regarding a possible Iranian naval blockade, they state: “A naval blockade by Iran is extremely difficult because Iran will not surrender easily and is capable of retaliating with submarines, drones, ballistic and hypersonic missiles, and small speedboats. Ships participating in the blockade will be under constant threat. Furthermore, blocking sea lanes will harm other countries and global oil reserves. Even for a naval power as powerful as the US Navy, such an operation would be risky, costly, and may not achieve its ultimate goal. Meanwhile, it is understood that a BRICS Unified Payment System will be achieved by the end of the year. The annual BRICS summit, to be held later this year in India, will be the starting point for consolidating the BRICS Unified Payment System. The Central Bank of India has officially joined the effort to accelerate the full implementation of BRICS Pay. The system is currently in the testing phase. Initially, 2027 was considered the date for the final decision, but the roadmap has been revised. moved to 2026. Finally, according to several Iranian currency monitoring sites, the Iranian currency fell today to an all-time low of 1.5 million rials per US dollar.
On January 26, the location of the last deceased Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, was reached in Gaza, reports Amit Segal of the Israeli Channel 12.
“As part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to open the Rafah crossing to civilians only, under full Israeli supervision. The opening of the crossing is conditional on the return of all surviving hostages and a 100% commitment from Hamas to locate and return all fallen hostages. The IDF is currently conducting a targeted operation to exhaust all intelligence obtained in its attempt to locate and return the last fallen hostage, Ran Gvili. Upon completion of the operation and in accordance with the agreement with the United States, Israel will open the Rafah crossing. “The State of Israel is committed to ensuring the return of Israeli hero Sergeant Major Ran Gvili and will spare no effort to bring him back to Israeli soil,” Netanyahu’s press office said.
Netanyahu stated in the Knesset: “The next step is the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza, not reconstruction.” It is in our interest to accelerate this phase, not delay it.”
And now a look at the military scenarios updated at 3:00 PM on January 27. Ansar Allah Yemen has officially warned countries in the region not to interfere with the interception of Iranian missiles, otherwise they will be punished. The Houthi government’s statement reads: “We warn Arab countries, especially Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, against intercepting missiles launched by Iran, Yemen, and the Axis of the Resistance forces against the Israeli regime. Any country that intercepts the missiles of the Axis of the Resistance will be considered an integral part of the Zionist regime. Consider this an official warning.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has conducted a large-scale deployment of coastal anti-ship missile systems along the country’s southern coast. According to available reports, numerous launchers have been removed from underground missile cities in the past few hours and deployed to strategic locations, where they are now on high alert. These missile systems are believed to have a range of 90 to 1,000 kilometers and are capable of hitting targets in a significant portion of the northern Indian Ocean. Iran has rejected the United States’ request not to respond harshly after an initial attack by the U.S. military. Iranian authorities say Iran has seized “more than 100 Starlink kits,” a police source said. “Used by insurgents, foreign-backed terrorists to carry out terrorist acts against the Iranian people.”
In Iraq, Abu Hussein al-Hamidavi, Secretary General of the Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq, filled out an official form declaring his willingness to become a martyr “if a war breaks out between Iran and the United States.” Broadly speaking, the Axis of Resistance issued a stern warning to the United States and Israel: “From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran will not stand alone in the face of threats to its leadership or territory. Any attack by the United States or Israel, and particularly an assassination attempt on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, could trigger a coordinated, multi-pronged regional response. For Washington, this is a strategic choice. An escalation could drag the United States into a protracted, multi-front conflict, overburden its military resources, destabilize its allies, and undermine its long-term objectives. The human, economic, and political costs of such a scenario could far outweigh any short-term benefits. The alternative is moderation. Abandon the adventure, reconsider the objectives, and avoid a war whose consequences could reshape the entire Middle East in unpredictable and dangerous ways.
The Syrian army continues to fight in Kurdish areas and has captured a strategic tunnel connecting Ain al-Arab to the Tishreen Dam.
Hezbollah Secretary General: “This time, the war with Iran will overwhelm everyone and set the entire region ablaze.” On January 26, the Israel Defense Forces attacked and killed Hezbollah militants while they were operating in an underground Hezbollah base in the Nabatieh region of southern Lebanon.
A ship carrying special U.S. military missile defense systems is approaching Israel. The body of an IDF soldier was found yesterday at a military base in southern Israel. Following the incident, the military police launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
The IDF Chief of Staff visited the Gaza Strip.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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