New Year celebrations quickly gave way to Soleimani's fifth martyrdom anniversary, with state media orchestrating extensive coverage of Khamenei's speech at the commemorative event. The Supreme Leader emphasized the "resistance front" while making his third promise to reclaim Syria from its new leadership.
By mid-morning, news emerged of Syria's new government meeting with Kurdish representatives, while Iran announced new EU3 talks scheduled for January 13. The Communications Minister's announcement about lifting all platform filtering restrictions marked a significant policy shift, following previous days' gradual return of messaging apps.
Evening coverage focused on Saudi Arabia's execution of six Iranians without legal guarantees, while Pakistani officials reported Taliban forces capturing 15 security posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The New Orleans vehicle attack received extensive coverage, with state media emphasizing the suspect's identity.