The United States said on Thursday (Jan 15) that Iran had halted a planned execution of 800 protesters following pressure from President Donald Trump, as Gulf allies worked behind the scenes to distance Washington from possible military action over Tehran’s deadly crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.
While the White House has said it has backed away from immediate military action, officials have stressed that the option remains open if Iran resumes executions.
“All options remain on the president’s desk,” the White House said.
“800 Executions Stopped”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Iranian authorities had halted the executions scheduled for Wednesday after a direct warning from Trump.
“The president understands today that the 800 executions that were scheduled to take place yesterday have been stopped,” Leavitt said.
She added that Trump had warned Tehran of “severe consequences” if the killing of protesters continued.
Trump later welcomed the development on Truth Social, writing: “That’s good news. Let’s hope it continues!”
New US sanctions announced
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials that added to already sweeping restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program — sanctions that have added to Iran’s economic strain and helped fuel public anger.
The number of victims of the protests is in the thousands
Norway’s Iran Human Rights (IHR) said Iranian security forces had killed at least 3,428 protesters and warned the final number was likely to be much higher as information continued to emerge despite a week-long internet outage.
Iran has described the protesters as “rioters” backed by the US and Israel and has promised swift justice, raising fears of mass executions among rights groups.
Gulf states intervene to prevent war
Gulf allies including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led an urgent diplomatic effort to dissuade Trump from launching military strikes, AFP officials said.
“The troika led a long, frantic, last-minute diplomatic effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good faith,” a senior Saudi official said on condition of anonymity.
A second Gulf official confirmed that Iran had been warned that any attack on US facilities in the region “would have consequences”.
Saudi Arabia has also informed Tehran that it will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for attacks, the sources said.
“No Hanging Today”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sought to calm tensions, telling Fox News: “There will be no hanging today or tomorrow.
Iran’s judiciary later said Erfan Soltani, the 26-year-old protester whose execution drew international attention, was not sentenced to death and instead faces charges that lead to possible imprisonment.
Read also | Trump Seeks Swift, Decisive Strike on Iran — But Officials Warn of Risks: Report
Diplomatic channels remain open
Switzerland, which represents US interests in Iran, said Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani spoke to a senior Swiss diplomat on Wednesday, with Bern offering help to “de-escalate the current situation”.
The development came ahead of a United States-requested UN Security Council meeting on Iran.
Protests continue despite the crackdown
Despite the communication blackout, AFP verified videos showing bodies at a morgue south of Tehran and a funeral rally where mourners chanted slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Read also | Iran reopens airspace after brief closure amid fears of US strike Iran
