Protests are spreading across multiple Iranian cities as the rial plunges to record lows and inflation crushes ordinary citizens, with opposition channels reporting live fire used by security forces against tens of thousands of demonstrators. The unrest, concentrated in urban centers where price surges have made basic goods unaffordable, represents the most significant challenge to Tehran's authority since the 2022 uprising. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett posted a video urging Iranians to 'rise up,' while sitting cabinet ministers expressed solidarity—one posting messages in Persian, another wearing a cap reading 'Make Iran Great Again.'
The timing proves strategically significant. As Iran's domestic crisis deepens, a tanker linked to Iranian oil operations off Venezuela attempted to evade U.S. seizure by having its crew paint a Russian flag on the vessel, illustrating the increasingly desperate measures Tehran's network employs to circumvent sanctions. The Bella 1's flight into the Atlantic underscores how pressure campaigns are squeezing Iranian revenue streams at precisely the moment the regime faces internal combustion.
Meanwhile, a stunning intelligence claim from Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has emerged: he told Al Jazeera that Somaliland has agreed to accept displaced Gazans in exchange for Israeli recognition, establish an Israeli military base on its territory, and join the Abraham Accords. The president cited intelligence sources indicating 'some Israeli presence' already exists in the breakaway region. If verified, this would represent a dramatic expansion of Israel's strategic footprint in the Horn of Africa and a potential mechanism for Gaza population transfer—a concept that has generated fierce international opposition.
In Washington, a different battle intensifies over digital currency supremacy. Coinbase's Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad warned senators that proposed restrictions on stablecoin interest payments would hand China a decisive advantage in the global financial architecture. Beijing has moved to make its digital yuan more attractive by allowing interest-bearing wallets—a direct challenge to dollar hegemony. The GENIUS Act amendments under consideration could, Shirzad argued, weaken U.S. dollar stablecoins at the precise moment competition for the future of money reaches fever pitch.
The digital currency race extends beyond great power rivalry. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao declared Pakistan could become a global crypto hub by 2030 if current regulatory momentum continues, while Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson predicted the broader crypto market could reach $10 trillion through real-world asset tokenization. These projections arrive as Ethereum smashed its Layer 1 transaction record with 2.2 million transactions in a single day—evidence that blockchain infrastructure is maturing even as regulatory frameworks remain contested.
Hamas condemned Israel's decision to ban several aid organizations from operating in Gaza, calling it 'criminal behaviour' and urging international intervention. The move affects dozens of groups as the humanitarian situation remains dire. Piped water has returned to parts of Gaza, but with wastewater treatment plants still crippled, raw sewage is flowing into the Mediterranean—Israeli officials now fear contamination could damage desalination plants and trigger epidemic outbreaks that respect no borders.
Across Russia and former Soviet states, journalists remain imprisoned for their work. Among them is a Catholic reporter in Belarus who has appealed to the Vatican, his faith reportedly encouraging fellow inmates. The persecution of press freedom continues as Moscow tightens information control.
The convergence of economic collapse in Iran, territorial realignments around Gaza, and the accelerating digital currency competition marks the final hours of 2025 with unusual prophetic weight. Students of Scripture note that Persia's internal turmoil, combined with shifting alliances around Israel and the race to control global financial systems, aligns with patterns long anticipated. What emerges in the first weeks of 2026—whether Iranian streets quiet or ignite, whether Somaliland's alleged deal materializes, whether Washington cedes digital ground to Beijing—will shape the trajectory of the year ahead.