U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed he had received assurances that Iranian authorities had halted the killing of protesters and suspended planned executions, even as Tehran pushed back against reports of mass hangings and the United States stopped short of ruling out military action.
Speaking in a surprise announcement at the White House, Trump said “very important sources on the other side” had informed him that the crackdown had ended and that executions slated for the day would not proceed.
“They’ve said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place — there were supposed to be a lot of executions today, and that the executions won’t take place — and we’re going to find out,” Trump said, adding that the United States had yet to independently verify the claims.
Trump, who in recent days had repeatedly signaled a willingness to support the Iranian people amid a brutal crackdown on protests, said Washington would continue to closely monitor the situation. Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office whether U.S. military action was now off the table, he replied: “We’re going to watch it and see what the process is.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later told U.S. broadcaster Fox News that there would be “no hanging today or tomorrow,” while accusing Israel—without providing evidence—of orchestrating the violence that engulfed the country.
Araghchi argued that peaceful demonstrations over economic hardship, which began on December 28, spiraled into widespread violence between January 7 and 10 after being infiltrated by external “elements” seeking to provoke U.S. intervention.
“They had a plan to create a large number of killings in order to provoke President Trump to enter into this conflict and start a new war against Iran,” he said.
Iran’s Justice Minister, Amin Hossein Rahimi, echoed the narrative, telling state media that events after January 7 “were no longer protests,” insisting that those arrested during that period were “definitely criminals.”
Separately, a rights group reported that the execution of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was arrested during the protests, would not go ahead as scheduled on Wednesday, citing information from his relatives.
Late Wednesday, the United Nations announced that the Security Council would convene on Thursday for a briefing on the situation in Iran, following a request by the United States.
Trump’s remarks appeared to ease market anxieties, sending oil prices sharply lower on Thursday morning amid reduced fears of a major supply disruption. Iran accounts for roughly three percent of global oil production.
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