Trump says Iran paused execution plans as protests rage
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had been told “on good authority” that Iran has stopped plans to carry out executions, even as Tehran signals fast-track trials and harsh punishments for thousands detained in its nationwide crackdown on protesters.
The U.S. president made the claim without providing details, days after telling protesting Iranians that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” in response to the Iranian government’s actions.
However, Trump did not explain how Washington might respond and it was unclear whether his remarks suggested a delay in any possible U.S. action.UNB News
Earlier in the day, Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said authorities must move quickly to punish more than 18,000 people detained during the unrest through rapid trials and executions.
Iran’s security forces have killed at least 2,586 people during the crackdown, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The toll is the highest from any wave of unrest in Iran in decades, recalling the turmoil surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington remained high as Iran further extended an order closing its airspace to commercial aircraft without explanation early Thursday. A notice to pilots said the closure was expected to last until 7:30am local time.
The United States also requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Iran, while U.S. embassies in Kuwait and Qatar ordered heightened security measures and advised personnel to limit movements to key military bases.
Britain shut its embassy in Tehran and withdrew diplomats, citing security concerns, while several countries, including India and Italy, urged their nationals to leave Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is “ready for negotiation” and urged Washington to choose diplomacy over war, while again blaming foreign powers for the unrest.
Meanwhile, mass funerals were held in Tehran for security force members killed in the protests, and demonstrations in support of Iranian protesters continued in cities across Europe.