Donald Trump said Iran’s leadership had cancelled what he described as hundreds of planned executions of protesters, thanking Tehran for the alleged decision as nationwide unrest appeared to subside following a violent crackdown.
Posting on his social media platform, Trump said mass hangings had been called off and praised Iranian leaders for the move. He had previously warned of “very strong action” if Iran carried out executions of detained protesters.
“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!” Trump wrote. Iranian authorities have not publicly confirmed any such plans or announced their cancellation.
Protests erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and quickly expanded into widespread demonstrations demanding political change. Opposition groups and Iranian officials say more than 2,000 people were killed in the worst domestic unrest since the Islamic Revolution. Rights groups place the death toll even higher.
Residents in Tehran told Reuters that the capital had been comparatively calm for four days, despite continued drone surveillance. A resident in a northern city along the Caspian Sea also described quiet streets. Both declined to be identified due to safety concerns.
US strike fears recede, tensions remain
Fears of a US attack diminished after Trump said earlier in the week that killings in Iran appeared to be easing. Even so, Washington is expected to deploy additional military assets to the region, underscoring ongoing tensions. The US military’s Central Command declined to comment on movements.
US allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, engaged in intense diplomacy with Washington to avert a strike, warning of broader regional fallout. Israel also raised readiness levels, with intelligence chief David Barnea holding talks in the United States, according to sources.
As internet restrictions eased, accounts of violence continued to emerge. A woman in Tehran told Reuters her 15-year-old daughter was killed after joining a protest near their home. She said security forces pursued the girl as she tried to return home.
Calls for pressure and signs of sporadic unrest
Exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi urged the international community to intensify pressure on Tehran, arguing that protesters needed global support to force change. Trump, however, voiced doubts that Pahlavi could command broad backing inside Iran.
Norway-based Iranian-Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported no major protest gatherings since Sunday but said security conditions remained highly restrictive, with heavy deployments in cities previously affected by unrest.
There were still reports of isolated violence. Hengaw said a female nurse was killed by gunfire during protests in Karaj, west of Tehran, though Reuters could not independently verify the claim. State-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported that rioters set fire to an education office in central Isfahan province.
Verified video footage showed dozens of bodies at a forensic medical centre in Tehran, though the recording date could not be confirmed. State media cited Iran’s police chief as saying calm had returned nationwide.
US-based rights group HRANA put the death toll at 2,677, including protesters and government-affiliated individuals. Reuters has not independently verified the figure. An Iranian official previously told the agency that about 2,000 people had been killed.
Analysts note that the scale of casualties far exceeds previous episodes of unrest in Iran, including crackdowns in 2009 and 2022, highlighting the severity of the current crisis.
