Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 12, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 12, 2026
Germany’s Merz: Iran’s ‘disproportionate and brutal’ violence against protesters ‘a sign of weakness’
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Smoke rises as protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest at Vakilabad highway in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, January 10, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that Iran’s use of “disproportionate and brutal violence” against protesters is “a sign of weakness.”
“We condemn this violence in the strongest possible terms,” he says during a visit to India. “This violence is not an expression of strength, but rather a sign of weakness. This violence must end.”
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