Protests in Iran enter week two as crackdowns intensify and Tehran blames the US for inciting unrest

Anti‑government unrest continues to spread across Iran, despite a nationwide internet blackout and a defiant address from the Supreme Leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the demonstrators as “a bunch of vandals” and insisted the authorities would not yield.

Also in the programme: President Trump has indicated that US involvement in Venezuela may stretch on for years. He said the country’s vast oil reserves would play a central role in rebuilding efforts, which he described as potentially very profitable for American companies.

And we’ll explore new research into so‑called “gifted word‑learning” dogs, suggesting that some can pick up vocabulary simply by overhearing — performing on par with, or even better than, toddlers around eighteen months old.

Joining our presenter Julian Worricker to discuss these stories are Gaia Vince, science writer and author and James Rodgers, reader in international journalism at City University in London and a specialist on Russia and the Soviet Union.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Daily life in Tehran amid economy-driven protests in Iran on January 7th, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)