标签： Asia

Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad delivered a stark warning on Wednesday regarding ongoing economic demonstrations, drawing a clear distinction between legitimate grievances and what authorities perceive as destabilizing activities. While acknowledging the validity of peaceful livelihood protests as “social and understandable realities,” the senior judicial official emphasized that any attempts to transform economic discontent into security threats would trigger a “legal, proportionate and decisive response.

The demonstrations, initially sparked by shopkeepers at Tehran’s largest mobile phone market on Sunday, have since gained momentum with students from at least ten universities across the country joining the movement. The protests emerge against a backdrop of severe economic challenges, with Iran’s currency losing over a third of its value against the US dollar since last year amid persistent hyperinflation and crippling international sanctions.

Notably, the protests remain geographically concentrated in central Tehran, with most of the metropolis’s 10 million residents continuing daily life unaffected. The timing of the demonstrations coincides with curious administrative decisions, including a last-minute bank holiday announced with just one day’s notice. Officials attributed closures of schools, banks and public institutions to cold weather and energy conservation needs, though temperatures remain typical for the season.

The geopolitical dimension intensified when Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency posted messages in Persian on social media, expressing solidarity with protesters and encouraging street demonstrations. This external involvement likely contributed to the Iranian government’s heightened security concerns, particularly given the country’s history of major protests in 2019 (triggered by fuel price hikes) and 2022 (following Mahsa Amini’s death in custody).

Despite the current demonstrations showing significantly smaller scale than previous nationwide movements, authorities appear prepared to implement stringent measures to prevent escalation, reflecting the delicate balance between addressing economic distress and maintaining state security.

A senior Chinese military analyst has characterized the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) deployed to Taiwan as fundamentally flawed due to the island’s geographical constraints, comparing them to ‘a porcupine confined within a transparent enclosure.’

Fu Zhengnan, research fellow at the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Science, presented this assessment following the United States’ December 17 announcement of an $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan. The expert contends that Taiwan’s distinctive topography—characterized by narrow mountainous terrain and high population density—severely undermines the operational effectiveness of the mobile rocket systems.

While HIMARS are engineered for optimal performance in expansive, open environments such as deserts and plains where their shoot-and-scoot capabilities excel, Fu argues that these very advantages become theoretical limitations within Taiwan’s confined operational space. ‘Despite its defensive capabilities,’ Fu elaborated, ‘the system lacks adequate room for evasion, concealment, or tactical maneuvering across the island.’

Furthermore, the researcher highlighted a critical vulnerability: while external forces can readily detect the HIMARS platforms, Taiwanese operators inside would struggle to identify incoming threats promptly, rendering the systems conspicuously exposed and susceptible to targeting.

Fu contrasted Taiwan’s predicament with the PLA’s own rocket artillery capabilities, noting that China’s coastal-based systems operate with superior range, firepower, and sustained strike capacity from protected positions with greater strategic depth. This comparative analysis suggests Taiwan’s newly acquired systems would face significant survival challenges in high-intensity combat scenarios.

In a significant diplomatic engagement, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a crucial telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday, expressing Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the Kingdom following recent military actions in Yemen. The discussion centered on regional stability concerns after Saudi airstrikes targeted Yemen’s strategic port city of Mukalla, which reportedly intercepted weapons shipments destined for separatist factions.

The prime minister’s office released an official statement detailing how both leaders emphasized the critical importance of maintaining regional peace through diplomatic dialogue and peaceful resolution mechanisms. They mutually reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the longstanding fraternal relations between their nations, with the statement noting that bilateral ties have ‘reached unprecedented levels in recent months.’

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman acknowledged Prime Minister Sharif’s supportive stance and reciprocated Saudi Arabia’s desire to expand cooperative efforts with Pakistan across mutually beneficial domains. Notably, the Saudi leader confirmed his intention to undertake an official state visit to Pakistan in the coming year, signaling continued diplomatic engagement.

This development occurs against the backdrop of escalating tensions in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia conducted targeted strikes against weapons shipments allegedly originating from the United Arab Emirates. The situation threatens to create new conflict fronts in Yemen’s decade-long civil war, potentially pitting anti-Houthi coalition forces against each other in the impoverished nation.

Pakistan finds itself navigating complex diplomatic waters, maintaining simultaneous close relationships with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Prime Minister Sharif’s communication with Saudi leadership followed his recent meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Pakistan’s Punjab province, where discussions focused on de-escalating regional tensions.

The strategic partnership between Islamabad and Riyadh was formally strengthened through a mutual defense agreement signed in September, establishing that an attack on either nation would be considered an attack on both. Saudi Arabia remains a crucial economic partner for Pakistan, serving as a primary oil supplier and providing billions in financial assistance to help stabilize Pakistan’s economy and prevent foreign debt default.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry separately expressed deep concern about the renewed violence in Yemen, warning that unilateral actions by any Yemeni faction could exacerbate the conflict and further destabilize the region. The ministry reiterated Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security concerns while advocating for Yemen’s territorial integrity and unity, endorsing regional efforts to restore peace and stability.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and China Coast Guard have executed coordinated maritime patrol operations within the territorial waters surrounding Huangyan Island, demonstrating China’s ongoing commitment to maritime sovereignty enforcement. These routine patrol activities, conducted on December 31, 2025, represent standard procedure for maintaining jurisdictional oversight in China’s claimed maritime territories.

The joint operations involved sophisticated naval and coast guard assets conducting comprehensive surveillance and monitoring missions. These patrols serve multiple strategic purposes including maritime domain awareness, sovereignty assertion, and regional stability maintenance. The exercises followed established international protocols for military activities in territorial waters.

Chinese authorities characterized these operations as legitimate exercises of national rights consistent with international law and China’s longstanding territorial claims. The patrols occurred without incident and were described as part of normal military and law enforcement activities that China regularly conducts throughout its claimed maritime territories.

The timing of these operations coincides with ongoing regional efforts to maintain stability in the South China Sea. China maintains that such activities contribute to peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding among neighboring nations while protecting China’s legitimate maritime interests.