President Donald Trump stated that he has received information indicating Iran has ceased killings and canceled executions, but the US is still verifying this. Meanwhile, Iran denies plans for hangings amid international pressure and regional security tensions.
Tensions in Iran have shown temporary signs of easing as President Donald Trump announced from the White House that the crackdown on Iranian protesters, which has already claimed over 3,400 lives, has stopped according to Iranian authorities' claims.
Trump said he was informed that the mass executions originally scheduled for Wednesday have been suspended. "They say the killings have stopped and the executions won’t happen. We'll have to wait and see if that's true." However, Trump did not confirm whether he would withdraw military options, stating only, "We will see how the process unfolds."
Trump’s remarks came after the US and the UK reduced personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Officials described the partial US military withdrawal as a "precautionary measure."
This news caused global crude oil prices to plunge immediately on Thursday morning (15 Jan), as markets eased concerns over energy supply disruptions from Iran, which accounts for about 3% of global oil production.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US media that "there will be no hangings today or tomorrow," claiming the initial economic protests were infiltrated by groups supported by Israel to create bloody situations aiming to provoke President Trump into starting a war with Iran. Iran’s Justice Minister supported this, stating that after 7 January, the events were no longer protests and those arrested were criminals.
Meanwhile, reports say Erfan Saltani, a 26-year-old man arrested during protests and scheduled for execution Wednesday, has had his death sentence temporarily suspended according to his relatives.
Despite positive signs, concerns about military clashes remain high. The UK announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran, the US warned staff in Saudi Arabia to avoid areas near military bases, and India ordered its citizens to leave Iran immediately. German airline Lufthansa suspended flights over Iranian and Iraqi airspace indefinitely.
The US Embassy in Doha, Qatar, advised its staff to increase caution and limit non-essential travel to Al Udeid Air Base, while the Qatari government said it would continue to "take all necessary measures to protect the security and safety of its citizens and residents."
Al Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East, with about 10,000 personnel stationed there, including around 100 British staff. It remains unclear how many personnel will be withdrawn from the base.
Earlier this week, the US president urged Iranians to "keep protesting" via a post on the social media platform Truth Social, promising that "help is on the way."
Iranian human rights organizations report at least 3,428 protesters killed and over 10,000 arrested, while Iranian authorities held funerals for more than 100 security officers killed, labeling them as victims of "terrorism."
Most recently, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is preparing for an emergency meeting on Thursday at the US’s request to assess the situation in Iran, amid reports that Iranian authorities have maintained internet blackouts for over 144 hours to control the spread of violent images in the country.
. BBC