• Iran’s top commander says forces are ‘more prepared than ever’
• Trump calls end to Russia-Ukraine war after ‘positive’ meeting with Zelensky
• Washington claims permanent Greenland access is secured; Danish PM denies talks on island’s sovereignty
PARIS : The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned Washington on Thursday that his force has its “finger on the trigger” following mass protests, even as US President Donald Trump insisted the Islamic Republic appears ready for negotiations.
Gen Mohammad Pakpour, the Guards’ commander, cautioned Israel and the United States “to avoid any miscalculations by learning from historical experiences and what they learned in the 12-day imposed war”.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and dear Iran have their finger on the trigger, more prepared than ever, ready to carry out the orders and measures of the supreme commander-in-chief [Khamenei] — a leader dearer than their own lives,” Pakpour said in a statement quoted by state television.
While the prospect of immediate American action against Tehran appeared to recede this week, tensions remain high. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said the US struck Iranian uranium enrichment sites last year to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“Can’t let that happen,” Trump said. “And Iran does want to talk, and we’ll talk.”
Gen Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, who leads the Iranian joint command headquarters, warned that if the US attacks, “all US interests, bases and centres of influence” would become “legitimate targets”.
Trump had on Tuesday warned Iran’s leaders the US would “wipe them off the face of this earth” if there was any attack on his life in response to a strike targeting Khamenei.
The warnings come as Iranian leadership faces the aftermath of protests that began in late December. A violent crackdown has quelled the movement, accompanied by what the monitor NetBlocks called a “national kill-switch” internet blackout now in its second week. Iranian authorities on Wednesday released their first official toll from recent protests, stating 3,117 people were killed.
Trump-Zelensky meeting
Separately, Trump declared that Russia’s war on Kyiv “has to end” after holding a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Thursday. Following the discussion, Zelensky reported progress on peace talk negotiations and discussions regarding air defence supplies.
When asked by reporters what his message was for Russian President Vladimir Putin — who is scheduled to meet with a US envoy in Moscow later — Trump was direct.
“This war has to end,” Trump said. He described the encounter with the Ukrainian leader as positive.
Zelensky characterised the talks with his US counterpart as “productive”. Writing on the social media platform X, he indicated that diplomatic efforts between the two nations are intensifying.
Greenland deal
Meanwhile, Trump said he had secured total and permanent US access to Greenland in a deal with Nato, whose head said allies would have to step up their commitment to Arctic security to ward off threats from Russia and China. The development came as Trump backed off tariff threats and dismissed seizing Greenland by force, reducing tension in transatlantic relations.
“It’s really being negotiated now, the details of it,” Trump told Fox Business Network from the World Economic Forum. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte told Reuters in Davos it’s now up to senior commanders to handle extra security details.
“I have no doubt we can do this quite fast. Certainly I would hope for 2026, I hope even early in 2026,” he said.
While the news triggered a rebound in European markets, officials remain cautious. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen clarified that while security talks are progressing, no negotiations occurred regarding sovereignty over the semi-autonomous territory.
“It is still a difficult and serious situation, but progress has also been made in the sense that we have now got things where they need to be. Namely that we can discuss how we promote common security in the Arctic region,” Frederiksen said.
Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026
