WASHINGTON,
US President Donald Trump has said he has been told that Iranian authorities have stopped killing protesters and will not carry out planned executions, amid continuing international concern over a crackdown on unrest in the country.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he had received assurances from what he described as “very important sources on the other side” that the violence had ceased. He added that executions expected to take place had been called off but stressed that the United States had yet to independently verify the claims.
“They’ve said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place,” Trump said, adding that Washington would “watch it and see” how the situation develops.
Asked whether US military action against Iran was now ruled out, Trump declined to give a clear answer, saying the administration would continue to monitor events closely.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later told US television network Fox News that there would be “no hanging today or tomorrow”. He accused Israel of fuelling violence inside Iran, though he did not provide evidence to support the claim.
Araghchi said protests that began in late December over economic hardship had turned violent in early January after being infiltrated by external actors, whom he alleged were seeking to provoke US intervention. Iran’s justice minister echoed that position, saying those arrested after January 7 were no longer protesters but criminals.
Rights groups, however, have challenged Iran’s account. Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based organisation, says security forces have killed at least 3,428 people and arrested more than 10,000 since the unrest began. Amnesty International has accused Iranian authorities of carrying out unlawful killings on an unprecedented scale.
Separately, a rights group said the execution of a 26-year-old man arrested during the protests would not go ahead as scheduled on Wednesday, citing information from his family.
The situation has drawn growing international attention. The United Nations announced that the Security Council would meet on Thursday for a briefing on Iran, at the request of the United States. G7 nations said they were deeply alarmed by reports of deaths and injuries and warned of further sanctions if the crackdown continued.
Iranian officials have insisted the government is now in control and that calm has returned after what they described as days of “terrorist operations”. Tehran has also struck a defiant tone over the possibility of US military action, warning it is capable of responding to any attack.
Fears of escalation have already had regional effects. Britain said its embassy in Tehran had been temporarily closed, while Germany’s Lufthansa announced it would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice.
The protests are the largest Iran has seen since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. Rights monitors say the authorities used a prolonged internet blackout to suppress demonstrations, raising concerns about transparency and accountability as the crisis continues to unfold.
