19 January 2026
Trump
President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, which was also forwarded to several European ambassadors in Washington. Here is the full text:
“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”
Iran
An Iranian official in the region said on Sunday the authorities had verified at least 5,000 people had been killed in protests in Iran, including about 500 security personnel, blaming “terrorists and armed rioters” for killing “innocent Iranians.” The official said any updates to the death toll weren’t expected to increase it very much. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, also warned on Sunday that any attack on the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be a declaration of war.
Syria
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire deal with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after a government offensive collapsed SDF defensive positions. Under the agreement, signed by al-Sharaa and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings and oil and gas fields that have underpinned Kurdish self-rule.
Afghanistan
The Taliban Interior Ministry announced that several people were killed in an explosion in the Shahr-e-Naw area of Kabul. There are reports that Chinese nationals were the target, as there was damage to the Chinese restaurant China Lanzhou Beef Noodle.
Russia
The Kremlin claims that President Trump invited Putin to the “Board of Peace”, which is aimed at overseeing the implementation of peace reconstruction of Gaza and possibly a wider role in resolving global conflicts.
Social media wires
Putative footage of Iranian security forces opening fire on a Tehran protest on 8 Jan
Syrian government forces tear down a Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) (Kurdish women forces) statue
Featured Photo: “President Trump’s inauguration speech, 2017” – Wikimedia Commons, 2025
The Wires Brief is a daily breaking news report incorporating wire service news and social media updates. DefRep cannot verify the authenticity of social media reporters nor the accuracy of social media updates. Feature photos are altered with grayscale.