Iran Halts Executions: US Response and Remaining Options
- A second Gulf official confirmed the talks, adding that a message was also conveyed to Iran that attacking US regional facilities would "have consequences".
- Asked about a New York Times report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned mr Trump against strikes, Ms Leavitt said it was true that the two had...
- Iranian authorities have lashed out at "rioters", who they claim were backed by Israel and the US, vowing fast-track justice that activists fear will translate into a spree...
The White House says Iran has halted 800 executions of protesters under pressure from US President Donald Trump,but “all options remain on the table”.
Gulf allies appeared to pull back Mr Trump from his threat of military action over Tehran’s deadly crackdown on demonstrations.
Iran was shaken over the past week by some of the biggest anti-government protests in the history of the Islamic Republic, although the demonstrations appear to have diminished over the past few days in the face of repression, thousands of protesters being killed and a week-long internet blackout.
While washington has stepped back from military action for now, the White House said that “all options remain on the table for the president”.
“The president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said.
She said Mr Trump had warned Tehran of “grave consequences” if the killing of demonstrators continued.
The US Treasury also announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials, with Tehran already under crippling restrictions over its nuclear program that contributed to the economic woes that sparked protests.
A second Gulf official confirmed the talks, adding that a message was also conveyed to Iran that attacking US regional facilities would “have consequences”.
Asked about a New York Times report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned mr Trump against strikes, Ms Leavitt said it was true that the two had spoken but that she would not share details about their conversation without “express approval by the president himself”.
Iranian authorities have lashed out at “rioters”, who they claim were backed by Israel and the US, vowing fast-track justice that activists fear will translate into a spree of executions.
‘No hanging today’
In telephone talks on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan that Iran would defend itself “against any foreign threat”, according to a statement.
iranian Journalist Masih Alinejad Appeals to U.S. for Support Amid Protests
Iranian American journalist Masih alinejad publicly called on the United States to intervene in Iran, speaking before the Council in Washington. She stated that Iranians are united in opposition to the current clerical system.
Alinejad described widespread protests, stating, “Millions of Iranians flooded into the streets demanding that their money stop being stolen and sending to Hamas, to hezbollah, to Houthi,” referring to groups financially supported by Tehran.
In October 2024, a U.S. judge sentenced two men to 25 years in prison each for allegedly conspiring with Tehran to murder Alinejad,a prominent critic of the Iranian government in the United States.
Alinejad recalled Iranian public sentiment during a previous period of unrest, saying Iranians “welcomed when President Trump offered to rescue unarmed people being shot in their heart, in their chest by the security forces inside Iran.”
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz affirmed U.S. support for the Iranian people,stating,”The level of repression that the Iranian regime has unleashed on its own citizens…has repercussions for international peace and security.”
According to reporting from ABC News on January 14, 2026, the United States had previously threatened military action against Iran if it carried out the death penalty against individuals arrested during the protests. Read more here.