Skip to content 1/12/2026 Tony and Guests Cover the Top News Items and then Reflect on it From a Biblical Perspective Jan 13 · 59 min ...more
1/12/2026 Tony and Guests Cover the Top News Items and then Reflect on it From a Biblical Perspective
January 13, 2026 · 59 min
Updates on Cuba and Venezuela, the fate of Christians in Iran amid uprisings, investigations of Minnesota fraud and the Federal Reserve, and Cautions to the Trump administration on the life issue.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
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January 13, 2026 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
Updates on Cuba and Venezuela, the fate of Christians in Iran amid uprisings, investigations of Minnesota fraud and the Federal Reserve, and Cautions to the Trump administration on the life issue. ...more Show the full description Show less Updates on Cuba and Venezuela, the fate of Christians in Iran amid uprisings, investigations of Minnesota fraud and the Federal Reserve, and Cautions to the Trump administration on the life issue.
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In this video 0:00 Global Unrest and US Foreign Policy10:00 Crisis in Iran: Christian Persecution and Hope for Change22:38 Domestic Challenges: Protests, Fraud, and Economic Independence38:44 Defending Sanctity of Life and Taxpayer Conscience
Global Unrest and US Foreign Policy 0:00 Hello. I'm Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and host of Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. Every day, we offer a biblical perspective on the news as well as insightful interviews with elected0:11 leaders, newsmakers, and culture experts. We have a great program planned for you today. But first, get up to speed on the top headlines with Washington Stands News Brief.0:27 Welcome to the Washington Sand News Brief. I'm Sarah Holliday with today's top stories. Now entering their third week, protests in Iran continue in full force. They0:39 initially began over sky rocketing inflation and economic hardship, but quickly evolved into widespread calls to end the Islamic Republic's rule. Iranian officials0:51 say they have it all under control and yet reports estimate at least 500 to 600 protesters and bystanders have been killed. Some reports indicate the death1:03 toll could be in the thousands while thousands more have been arrested all amid a nationwide internet blackout. President Donald Trump has strongly condemned the violence1:15 threatening decisive US action if the crackdown continues. But Iran was quick to state if the US attacks, they will strike back. As of now, the Iranian foreign minister said1:27 while the country is prepared for war, it isn't seeking it and would be willing to negotiate with Trump. Even so, Trump said this to reporters.
1:37 They're violent. If you call them leaders, I don't know if they're leaders or just they they rule through violence. But we're looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and,
1:49 we're looking at some very strong options. We'll make it determination. The protest is after freedom. Iran has not allowed freedom for a long time. And the protest I don't think they're trying
2:00 to appease me. They're trying to get somebody to help them. They're under siege, and now it looks like they're being shot, which is a very bad thing.
2:10 We'll keep you informed as pressing updates emerge. Meanwhile, in Syria, US forces have conducted large scale air strikes as part of the ongoing operation Hawkeye
2:22 strike. This operation, which launched in December, came in direct response to a deadly ISIS ambush that killed 2 US National Guard members and a civilian
2:34 interpreter. US Central Command described the actions as essential to preventing ISIS from regrouping and threatening American and partner forces. However, casualty
2:45 details from the strikes remain unclear and neither the Pentagon nor the State Department has elaborated further. Well, there's a lot happening abroad but things certainly
2:57 aren't stagnant back home. 1 major example would be what continues to unfold in Minneapolis. It's been less than a week since Renee Goode was shot by an ICE agent after video evidence
3:09 shows her allegedly trying to run him over. Her death sparked major outrage as anti ICE protests and violence continue to explode across the country.
3:21 Tens of thousands have gathered in Minneapolis with over 1000 events planned across the country under banners that read, ICE Out for Good. Many of these protests have involved physical
3:33 altercations between agents and protesters such as protesters chasing ICE agents as they screen threats at them. Local response involves Minneapolis switching to virtual
3:44 learning amid such chaos. Federally, DHS secretary Kristi Noem and her team are only doubling down, saying they will send hundreds more agents to the city if they feel they need to. This is what she said
3:56 during a press briefing shared by Forbes.
3:59 We are warning anyone. If you think you can harm an individual, a citizen of the United States, or a law enforcement officer, we will find you and bring you to justice. If you lay a finger on 1 of our officers, we will
4:11 catch you, we will prosecute you, and you will feel the full extent of the law.
4:16 Anti ICE protest started shortly after Trump's second term began with no end in sight. And those are today's headlines. I'm Sarah Holliday. Dive deeper with the Washington Stand,
4:28 Stand, Family Research Council's outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview at washington stand dot com. And check out our long form conversations through the outstanding podcast. For more stories that
4:38 matter, be sure to tune in to the Washington Stand news brief tomorrow.
4:52 From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington DC, bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and
5:03 newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
5:10 I think they just want peace. They wanna have freedom. The protesters are after freedom. Iran has not allowed freedom for a long time. And the protests I don't think they're trying to appease me. They're trying
5:22 to get somebody to help them. They're under siege, and now it looks like they're being shot, which is a very bad thing.
5:30 How was president Donald Trump on the deadly protest in Iran and the strong actions the US is considering? Welcome to this January twelfth edition of Washington Watch. I'm your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks so
5:42 much for tuning in. Well, coming up, Iran is in crisis with over 500 dead and thousands arrested, and the country is under an Internet blackout. Doctor Hormaz Shariat of Iran Alive
5:54 Ministries will discuss the latest of what is happening in Iran. In January, here at home is sanctity of human life month. And next week, tens of thousands of, Americans
6:06 will head to Washington for the march for life. Even after the overturning of Roe v Wade, the fight for life continues. Doctor Albert Mohler will join us to discuss that later.
6:23 Well, the protests in Iran is turned deadly with cities leaving, with protests in cities, resulting in over 500 people being dead, thousands arrested, and authorities have imposed a near total
6:34 Internet blackout trying to keep information from exiting the country. Security forces have cracked down with force, and the situation is drawing international attention. President Trump warns the US is
6:46 weighing very strong options if the violence continues. Joining me now is Washington stand reporter Casey Harper who has been tracking this event today. Casey, what steps could the
6:58 US take? What's the president proposing, and what's Israel's reaction?
7:03 Yeah. Thanks, Tony. I mean, Iran has become so volatile at this point that any moves that president Trump takes could destabilize the region to a tipping point. Now what are those options he has? Well, of course, he has
7:13 military strikes, which he's considering. Those could be very targeted or more widespread. There's also cyberattacks where they can work in the infrastructure. They've also talks there's talks with Elon Musk about
7:23 providing Internet to the region to allow some other, information to get in because right now, because of the Internet blackout you mentioned, it's pretty much just propaganda, all the time. Of course, sanctions, which
7:34 is, something Iran is very familiar with. But president Trump said he's also in contact with the Iranian opposition and that Tehran has reached out to talk. Here's what president Trump had to say.
7:45 There seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed. These are violent. If you call them leaders, I don't know if they're leaders or just they they rule through violence. But we're looking at it
7:57 very seriously. The military is looking at it and, we're looking at some very strong options. We'll make it determination.
8:06 Now meanwhile, Israel is supporting supporting pressuring Iran, but they're also worried about regional escalation, something that Turkey has also expressed concern about. Though Turkey, as you know, Tony, is usually
8:17 doesn't share interest with the US and Israel.
8:20 Alright, Casey. I I would agree. Turkey's, involvement is is concerning as they seek to leverage instability in that region. So I I would watch them very carefully. I think it's 1 thing it's important to
8:32 point out. Iran has a very vibrant Christian community, which has faced brutal persecution that has only increased in recent years. And, I I think, you know, 1 of the things we can do
8:44 here at home, we're gonna talk more about this in a in a bit, but I think we need to be praying for Christians and the innocent civilians that are suffering. We're gonna talk to doctor Hormoz Shariat, a little bit later.
8:56 So so, Casey, let's move on to another part of the world that seems to be filled with unrest. Venezuela, Cuba have also been on present the president's radar. What's the latest in
9:08 terms of, the discussion of US policy toward those countries?
9:12 Yeah. Tony, this is something the Washington state has been covering. And you have to think that, Cuba is looking at this situation very differently since the deposition of Venezuela's Maduro. And with that backdrop and
9:23 that context, president Trump has warned Cuba, hey, you're not gonna keep getting that Venezuelan oil that you've grown used to or that Venezuelan money because Cuba is so isolated they've relied on Venezuela for many
9:34 years. And Trump is calling on Cuban leaders to make a deal. Now the Cuban president, Miguel Diaz Canel, they denied that there's any kind of ongoing talks with Washington, and they also pushed back on what they
9:44 perceived as threats from president Trump. And, of course, this all comes against, this new backdrop in the region, Tony, now that, Venezuela's the deposition of Maduro has changed the
9:56 game south of our border.
9:58 Alright. Let let's switch gears here very quickly. Let let's talk about Minnesota. Federal agents, fired tear gas to disperse, bystanders near, an immigration enforcement scene just
Crisis in Iran: Christian Persecution and Hope for Change
10:10 blocks from where the 1 was fatally shot last week. How how is the city responding as the Trump administration Homeland Security is sending more federal agents and the, justice
10:22 department is actually ramping up the fraud investigation?
10:25 Yeah. That's right, Tony. So the Minneapolis mayor has been very clear from the beginning. He doesn't want ICE in the city. He blames ICE for the chaos. He says they're sowing chaos in the streets by being there. And
10:35 we're definitely seeing some chaos. Federal officers, in fact, used tear gas today to break up, protests, which are not just in Minneapolis by the thousands, but around the country. But the Trump administration is really
10:46 doubling down. They're sending more and more federal agents to the streets to secure the situation. It's kind of a cycle where the protests of the officers lead to more officers because of security concerns. And as you
10:58 mentioned, that fraud that in Minneapolis had started all this is now getting significant federal scrutiny as there's a new federal department to investigate the fraud, not just in Minnesota, but around the country,
11:10 Tony.
11:11 Well, I I don't think that's gonna go away anytime soon. Casey, thanks so much for, bringing us an update. Tony. Appreciate it. Alright. I wanna turn back to the situation in Iran and get an assessment from
11:23 someone who has been tracking this very closely with those on the ground. Joining me now is doctor Hormoz Shariat, the founder and president of Iran Alive Ministries, a
11:35 Christian ministry that uses satellite broadcasting and the Internet to reach Iran Iranians with the gospel. Doctor Sharayat, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
11:47 Well, thank you, Tony, for inviting me to share what's happening.
11:52 Well, give us the latest. What are you hearing from inside of Iran?
11:57 Well, what is happening is what is expected in the government from the government of Iran. They have done the same thing. The government of Iran, this is not their first time. The same scenario, but
12:09 this 1 is different. Scenarios like this, people come on streets protesting, and first a little bit today tolerate, then they turn off Internet. The moment they turn off Internet, it means
12:21 they're gonna start killing, which they have. And arresting people. After people are dispersed from fear into their homes, then they start executing those they have arrested.
12:34 This is what's happening. But this time, it's different. People of Iran are not backing off. They're being killed, but they're not backing off. They are saying this is the end. We want results. And they are asking
12:45 president Trump, would you come and help us? But even though thousands may be killed by the people of Iran at the point that they're saying there is no point of return, we want the government of
12:57 Iran to be changed, and we don't mind giving our lives. Let me share the story. I I saw this young man on the streets telling the police, the, the army in front of
13:09 him, say, hey. Kill me. I'm young, but I never lived. I don't have a life, so go ahead and kill me. That's a sign of a desperation that people who
13:21 don't mind being killed. I had another person tell me I wanted to I was contemplating to to do suicide in my home. Then I said, why should I kill myself in my home? Just go on streets, fight
13:32 these people, and if I get killed, I get killed. At least I die for a cause. So people are so desperate. That's why they're so brave. There's no hope. There's no future. And many of them don't mind
13:44 dying.
13:46 You know, some of this, doctor Shariah, reminds me of what brought down the iron curtain where we had some of those who were willing to die for freedom. I think of, Czechoslovakia and some of those
13:57 countries where they just said, you know, we're we're not going away. We're not dispersing. We're not giving up. Yeah. And and the president, president Donald Trump, has made statements that he's watching stronger
14:08 statements than we've ever seen from United States president in terms of taking action. I have to think that that is encouraging and bolstering the citizens of Iran to stand up for their freedom.
14:21 Well, all of us hope that he will do that. People of Iran are begging Trump. As you may know, America is Americans are very popular. Iranian, you love America, and they love Trump. They call
14:33 Trump uncle Trump. Uncle Trump, come and help us. And Trump has a historical opportunity to make history in Iran. He could be, in the history of Iran, be written as a
14:45 hero who came to help the people of Iran be free. And in the Western society, his name could go down as somebody who turned an enemy of United States into a friend.
14:57 So this is time in history. This is history in making. And we as Christian, either we can just stand back and watch the history being made, or we can get involved and make
15:09 history.
15:10 I I wanna ask you in just a moment what we can do as Christians here in the United States. But but first, give our viewers and listeners a little bit of a a better understanding of
15:22 what's inside Iran under that regime. And most people see Iran as the regime, this Islamic regime, but that's not reflective of the Iranian people.
15:35 Totally. The people of Iran are totally different, separate in every way from the, Iranian government. There is such a gap that whatever the, Iranian government
15:46 is for, the people are against. So when the Iranian government say death to America, death to Israel, the people of Iran say, oh, they must be good people if our government is against them. So and Iranians
15:58 love Israel. They love United States, and they want freedom. And they want freedom American style. They look up to America. They think it's a perfect country. We live here. We know it's not perfect, but
16:10 they think it's perfect. They the moment Iran is free, there will be a great relationship between Iran and Israel and Iran and United States. But people of Iran are ready to
16:22 normalize their relationship with the rest of the world. They're sick and tired of being oppressed, being abused, all the resources, the oil money being used against them, and for the foreign
16:35 goals of their government, their poor. You know, Tony, Iran is 1 of the richest countries in the world on the paper because of the gas and oil. But practically, the people of
16:46 Iran are 1 of the poorest in the car in the world. 55 to 60 percent are under the poverty line. So here is the a government abusing the resources, abusing
16:58 the people, killing, and people are fed up. They said not this time. We will not go back home.
17:05 How strong is the church? How strong is a presence of believers there in Iran?
17:12 We have been working underground church for the last 25 years. You know, broadcast with our 24 7 broadcast, we go over the heads of the mullahs with our signal into people's
17:24 homes, in the privacy of their homes. We share the gospel, and we encourage the believers. Through these days, we have every day, we have a live broadcast. We go into people's
17:36 home and not only bring people to Christ, but we are leading our underground churches to go out and be salt and light and have many stories of how Christians
17:48 are on street. Some of them have been killed, arrested, and wounded. We know that. But Christians are on the streets helping people, sharing the gospel. Yeah. 1 person just called a couple days ago. He
17:59 said, I just came to Christ. I said, how did you come to Christ? He said, I was wounded on the streets of Tehran. I was running towards my home because I cannot go to a hospital. If I go to the hospital, hospital
18:10 authorities will are going to turn me in. So I was going home, and 1 person pulled me into his home to help me, and he brought a surgeon, brought
18:22 a neighbor who knew how to do this, and he helped me to take the bullet off of my leg. And then they shared the gospel with me. I realized there are there are Christians who are helping. Yeah. So I came to
18:34 Christ last night in that home. So Christians Christians are active. They know their job is to be salt and light, and Christians are on the streets of Iran, of Tehran,
18:46 helping
18:47 Doctor Shariat.
18:48 We're gonna we're
18:48 gonna have to leave it there.
18:49 Folks folks stick with us.
18:54 The book of Hebrews says that the word of God is living and active, sharper than any 2 edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the
19:06 thoughts and intentions of the heart. Stand on the word is Family Research Council's journey through the living and active word of God. Follow the plan with us. Spend
19:18 10 to 15 minutes a day reading God's word. And over the course of 2 years, discover that the Bible is 1 big story, a story of many words pointing to the word. The
19:30 1 who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Because the word is alive and his name is Jesus. Find our bible reading plan and daily devotionals from Tony Perkins
19:42 at f r c dot o r g slash bible. Join us as we stand on the word.
19:52 At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. For years, Islamist militants in Nigeria have targeted Christians
20:04 and other religious minority groups with brutal violence. Since 2009, 52000 Christians have been slaughtered. A staggering 89 percent of Christian martyrs in the world today are
20:16 from Nigeria. The first Trump administration declared Nigeria a country of particular concern, a designation reserved for countries whose governments engage in or tolerate religious freedom
20:28 violations. However, this designation of Nigeria was quickly reversed by the Biden administration. Following consistent calls from FRC president Tony Perkins and other religious leaders across the
20:40 US, president Donald Trump has responded.
20:44 Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern.
20:56 This is a huge step forward for the protection of Christians in Nigeria as well as religious freedom across the world. While this opens the door door for the US government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect
21:07 vulnerable Christians, it is only the beginning. We must continue to pray diligently, work strategically, and stand firm for the protection of religious liberty across the globe.
21:21 Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to the Washington stand, your ultimate destination for informed faith centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines,
21:33 delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at the Washington Stand,
21:45 where faith and facts meet every day.
21:52 Hey. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. Sorry. We ran out of time in that last segment. I wanna give out the website of doctor Shariat, iran alive dot org.
22:04 Iran alive dot org. You can find out more information about the work that they're doing to share the gospel in Iran and get their updates on what's happening there and and, prayer points. We need to be praying
22:16 for the people of Iran, for believers, and for as as he was just describing that story there at the end, how they're witnessing and sharing both in word and in action. Very critical time. We need to
22:28 pray for our administration that they take the right steps going forward. Again, that's iran alive dot o r g. I'm sure we'll have doctor Sherryat on, more as this unfolds. Alright.Show more
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