Evening Brief: Trump Floats Tariffs to Pressure Allies, Iran Hard-Liner Calls for Executions, Russia Intensifies Power Grid Attacks

US officials said Ratcliffe discussed economic collaboration and stressed that Venezuela must not serve as a safe haven for adversaries and drug traffickers. CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Caracas for a rare sit‑down with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, the most senior U.S. official to set foot in the Venezuelan capital since American forces captured Nicolás Maduro. pic.twitter.com/b3WL7gPg85 — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 16, 2026 The meeting came the same day Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado met with Trump in Washington, underscoring competing political currents as the US seeks to build a working relationship with Rodríguez’s government while assessing Venezuela’s future political transition.   US-Backed Palestinian Committee Meets in Cairo to Govern Gaza as Violence Continues A US-supported Palestinian committee tasked with governing Gaza met for the first time Friday in Cairo, as its leader pledged to quickly address urgent humanitarian needs following two years of war between Israel and Hamas. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, led by Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority official Ali Shaath, will oversee day-to-day governance under US supervision, with reconstruction expected to take about three years. US President Donald Trump has publicly backed the committee as Israeli forces remain withdrawn behind the Yellow Line following an October ceasefire and displaced Palestinians return to devastated areas. The first meeting of the Gaza Administration Committee began in Cairo → Initial session of Palestinian National Committee tasked with managing the Gaza Strip convened in the Egyptian capital, focusing on relief and postwar reconstruction plans https://t.co/h5Lum2Q6zn pic.twitter.com/F0ix7A2Elg — Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 16, 2026 Meanwhile, violence persisted elsewhere, with the killing of a 14-year-old Palestinian boy in the West Bank during an Israeli military operation and the deaths of two children in northern Gaza.   US Military Delegation Enters Northern Syria as Tensions Rise Between Damascus and Kurdish Forces A US military delegation arrived Friday in the Deir Hafer area of northern Syria amid escalating tensions between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control much of the northeast. The visit came as thousands of civilians fled SDF-held territory east of Aleppo, anticipating a possible Syrian army offensive. Syrian authorities opened and later extended a humanitarian corridor, while limited exchanges of fire occurred between the two sides. More than 11,000 people reached government-held areas using secondary roads after the SDF closed the main highway, according to Syrian state media. U.S. Forces arrived in the Northern Syrian town of Dayr Hafir in the Eastern Aleppo Governorate earlier today, meeting with a delegation from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), amid attempts to cool increase tensions which could lead to major clashes soon between the… pic.twitter.com/WslJ5ar70L — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 16, 2026 US and SDF officials met inside a government building in Deir Hafer as Washington urged restraint and sought to prevent further escalation. The standoff follows recent clashes in Aleppo and stalled negotiations over integrating SDF forces into the Syrian state, an agreement brokered earlier this year.   Iranian Kurdish Group Claims Armed Attacks on Revolutionary Guard Amid Protest Crackdown An Iranian Kurdish separatist group based in northern Iraq says it has launched armed attacks against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in response to Tehran’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests. The Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK, said its armed wing, the National Army of Kurdistan, carried out operations inside Iran in recent days, targeting Guard forces in western provinces including Ilam and Kermanshah. A PAK representative said the group also provided financial support to protesters and assisted Iranians who fled into Iraq’s Kurdish region. Iranian activists estimate that more than 2,700 people have been killed during the crackdown. Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps issued a statement, detailing its operations to counter foreign elements that instigated riots in the country. Follow: https://t.co/mLGcUTSA3Q pic.twitter.com/AglnVS58nu — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) January 15, 2026 The claims, which could not independently verify, mark the first time a Kurdish Iranian group has acknowledged armed action since the protests began. The developments raise tensions between Iran and Iraq, where Kurdish dissident groups remain under restrictions following a 2023 disarmament agreement, as Tehran accuses the groups of fueling unrest and warns of possible retaliation.   Iran Hard-Liner Calls for Executions as Protest Death Toll Nears 2,800 and US Threats Ease Iranian authorities tightened their stance Friday as the country returned to an uneasy calm following weeks of protests and a deadly crackdown, with a senior hard-line cleric calling for the execution of detained demonstrators and issuing direct threats against US President Donald Trump. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, speaking in Tehran, urged capital punishment for protesters as rights groups reported at least 2,797 deaths since demonstrations began December 28 over economic grievances and expanded into challenges to Iran’s ruling theocracy. While street life resumed in Tehran and no new protests were reported, an internet blackout remained in place. ESCALATING SITUATION: Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami calls for execution of detained protesters amid intense nationwide unrest. https://t.co/P37t1Y6Uqe — Fox News (@FoxNews) January 16, 2026 Trump said Iran had canceled planned executions of hundreds of detainees, easing immediate fears of US military action, though Washington warned it would respond if mass executions occur. The unrest has drawn international concern, diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation, and claims of cross-border militant attacks, highlighting the continuing instability and global stakes tied to Iran’s internal crisis.   South Africa Probes Iranian Warship Role in BRICS Drills After US Rebuke South Africa launched an investigation Friday into the participation of Iranian warships in multinational naval drills off Cape Town after reports that officials ignored President Cyril Ramaphosa’s instructions limiting Iran to observer status. The inquiry follows sharp criticism from the United States, which condemned South Africa for hosting Iranian vessels amid Tehran’s violent crackdown on protests that has killed more than 2,600 people, according to rights groups. The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defense and SANDF defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises. Iran is a destabilizing actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises –… — US Embassy SA (@USEmbassySA) January 15, 2026 The drills, led by China and held under the BRICS bloc, included navies from South Africa, China, Russia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates and marked Iran’s first naval exercise with BRICS since joining the group in 2024. South Africa’s Defense Ministry said it is investigating whether Ramaphosa’s directives were misrepresented or ignored, as Iranian warships appeared to actively participate despite reported limits.   Russia Intensifies Power Grid Attacks as Ukraine Faces Winter Blackouts and Seeks US Support Russia has struck every Ukrainian power plant since launching its full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s new energy minister said Friday, as intensified attacks plunged hundreds of thousands into darkness during one of the coldest winters in years. Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal told parliament that Russia carried out 612 attacks on energy facilities last year, part of a strategy Kyiv calls “weaponizing winter” to weaken civilian morale. With temperatures dropping to minus 18 degrees Celsius (minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit), extended blackouts have strained hospitals, schools, and households, forcing emergency measures and electricity rationing. Ukraine no longer has a single fully operational power plant, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal says. He also noted fuel supplies cover more than 20 days and imports continue, gas restrictions are not in place, and police are stepping up patrols to maintain order and assist… pic.twitter.com/JkZoRHCPVO — NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) January 16, 2026 US President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine remains vulnerable due to missile shortages for air defenses and confirmed a delegation is traveling to the United States to advance proposed peace and reconstruction agreements, with possible talks next week in Davos. As the war grinds on across a 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, Ukraine is relying on foreign aid, imported electricity, and new funding from allies such as the United Kingdom to keep essential services running.   Canada Cuts Tariffs on Chinese EVs in Trade Deal That Lowers Barriers for Farm Exports Canada agreed Friday to sharply reduce its 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) in exchange for lower Chinese tariffs on Canadian agricultural products, marking a break from US trade policy. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the deal after meeting Chinese leaders in Beijing, saying Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs annually at a 6.1 percent tariff, with the cap rising to about 70,000 over five years. In return, China will cut its tariff on Canadian canola seeds from 84 percent to about 15 percent, reopening a key export market. The agreement comes as Carney seeks to diversify Canada’s economy amid strained ties with the United States and ongoing global trade disruption. Canada and China have struck an initial trade deal that will slash tariffs on electric vehicles and canola, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, as both nations promised to tear down trade barriers while forging new strategic ties https://t.co/YtubHkq7j5 pic.twitter.com/b0wp9CMWBo — Reuters Asia (@ReutersAsia) January 16, 2026 The deal drew mixed reactions, with praise from China and some economists, concern from US trade officials, and sharp criticism from Canadian auto industry leaders who warn it could threaten jobs and access to the US market.   South Korea Questions Civilian Over Alleged Drone Flights Toward North Korea South Korean authorities summoned a civilian Friday to investigate whether the person sent drones toward North Korea, after Pyongyang accused Seoul of violating its airspace and threatened retaliation. North Korea said it used electronic warfare to down South Korean drones earlier this month and last September and claimed the aircraft carried video footage of sensitive sites. 🚨🇰🇵 North Korea shoots down ROK surveillance drone after 8km incursion — KCNA KCNA released detailed data on the 156-kilometer reconnaissance flight. The Korean People’s Army called it “a perfect copy of Kiev’s lunatics.” pic.twitter.com/hN59IF4Ww5 — Sputnik (@SputnikInt) January 10, 2026 South Korea denied official involvement but formed a joint military-police task force to determine whether civilians were responsible. The probe comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s government seeks to revive stalled talks with the North, even as Pyongyang rejects engagement and escalates rhetoric ahead of a likely ruling party congress. Drone incidents have long fueled tensions between the two Koreas, which remain divided by a heavily fortified border and technically at war.   Sources: News Agencies