Amanpour

After days of urging the people of Iran to continue to protest, President Trump suddenly appeared to back down last night — noting to reporters that Iranian sources told him that the killing of protesters was over and planned executions will not go ahead. But even as the crackdown on protesters has proven deadly, with thousands reported killed, some are still staunch defenders of the regime. Christiane speaks to one of those voices — Mohammad Marandi is a Professor at the University of Tehran and joins the show from Tehran, Iran. 

Also on today's show: Nazenin Ansari, Journalist /Managing Editor of Kayhan London; Phil Gunson, Andes Project Senior Analyst, International Crisis Group; NYT columnist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin 

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President Trump promises help is coming for Iranian protestors, with reports that executions will begin soon and the regime promising to swiftly punish demonstrators. This is a critical moment for the regime, caught between threats from the United States and from its own people. Correspondent Jomana Karadsheh has this exclusive report piecing together what's happening inside Iran, with testimony from a doctor treating those wounded protestors. 

Also on today's show: Elliott Abrams, Former US Special Representative for Iran; Kaouther Ben Hania, Director and writer, The Voice of Hind Rajab; Mike Fox, Legal Fellow, Cato Institute Project on Criminal Justice 

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A picture is beginning to emerge of the true brutality of the Iranian regime as it cracks down hard on continued protests in Iran. At least 18,000 protestors have been killed in more than two weeks of anti-government demonstrations, according to a US-based human rights group. Nazanin Boniadi is an actress and activist who has long campaigned for human rights in Iran, having been born there in the early days of the Islamic Republic. She joins the show to discuss these protests. 

Also on today's show: historian Nina Khrushcheva; author Jacob Soboroff ("Firestorm"); journalist/author Kenneth Rosen ("Polar War") 

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What began in Iran as demonstrations against the dire state of the economy and the cost of living have escalated into a nationwide challenge to the Islamic Republic itself. Now, security forces are aggressively moving on the protesters, killing hundreds (according to a US-based rights group). Meanwhile, President Trump is mulling over military intervention. Abbas Milani, director of Iranian studies at Stanford and author of "The Shah," was held political prisoner by the former Shah's regime and eventually left Iran in 1986. He joins the show. 

Also on today's show: Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Chief Economist, WH Council of Economic Advisers Under Pres. George W. Bush; author Ben Markovits ("The Rest of Our Lives"); Shawn Hubler, Los Angeles Bureau Chief, The New York Times 

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We take a deep dive into how Trump’s America has shaken up the world order, just days into the new year. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders responds to the tragic shooting of a U.S. citizen by an I.C.E operative. They also discuss President Trump’s claim that the U.S. will control Venezuela and its oil reserves for years. Then, Christiane speaks to former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos about the threat facing his country as the U.S. leans into Latin America. Correspondent David Culver then takes us to the Colombian border, to show how the nation is beefing up its border security. Plus, a cultural reprieve with actor Ethan Hawke, as he tells Christiane about portraying Broadway legend Lorenz Hart in his new film “Blue Moon”. From the archives, a report on the historical  failure of U.S. nation building in Iraq, and the students who told Christiane about the high price their country paid for international intervention. And finally, we take a look back at Christiane’s conversation with Nicolas Maduro back in 2014 and the confident composure that ultimately contributed to his downfall.  

Air date: January 10, 2026

Guests:

Bernie Sanders

Juan Manuel Santos

Ethan Hawke

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This week, the world has watched as the US captured a foreign head of state, boarded oil tankers, and threatened military action against more countries. International human rights lawyer Jared Genser has extensive experience working against dictatorships and has been called "the extractor" for his work freeing political prisoners. He joins Christiane from DC to make sense of all of this.  

Also on today's show: actor Ethan Hawke; reporters/authors Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis 

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America is roiled. At home and abroad, from Minnesota to Venezuela, the actions of the Trump administration have put the country on edge. Senator Bernie Sanders joins the program from the Capitol Building to discuss it all. 

Also on today's show: CNN Correspondent Paul Newton; MSF Secretary-General Christopher Lockyear; Atlantic staff writer David Frum 

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Reacting to President Trump's threats against Colombia, President Gustavo Petro hit back by vowing to "take up arms" to defend his country. Trump and Petro have clashed from the very start when Petro initially refused to take Venezuelan migrants Trump was deporting, then over the war in Gaza, and US military strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels. The US even suspended Petro's visa and sanctioned him last year. But could this really spiral into an American assault on Colombia? Juan Manuel Santos was the country's president for eight years until 2018, and he joins Christiane from there.  

Also on today's show: Karim Sadjadpour, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Ian Bremmer, Founder and President, Eurasia Group & GZERO Media 

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Fresh instability is unfolding in Venezuela, after reports of overnight gunfire near the presidential palace in Caracas. With Nicolás Maduro now in US custody, his allies are moving swiftly to consolidate power at home, even as Washington insists it is shaping the transition. Independent US Senator Angus King joins Bianna Golodryga to discuss what he believes the Trump administration’s intentions are, and how far those efforts have gone so far. 

Also on today's show: Former NSC Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Juan Gonzalez; Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Oleksandr Merezhko; Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto Jason Stanley 

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The Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty to narcoterrorism charges in New York after being captured by the United States in an audacious military operation over the weekend. We get the details from the courtroom. And Christiane asks former Acting US Ambassador to Venezuela Todd Robinson whether the US should run the country as President Trump said. 

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