Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected claims that Tehran plans to execute antigovernment protesters, following comments from Donald Trump that he had received assurances the killing of demonstrators in Iran had stopped.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Araghchi said there was no intention to carry out executions related to the recent unrest.
“There is no plan for hanging at all,” he said, adding that such measures were “out of the question”.
Trump Cites Assurances, Leaves Options Open
Araghchi’s remarks came after Trump told reporters earlier in the day that he had been informed killings of protesters had ended and that any planned executions were halted. The comments marked a noticeable shift in tone after days of heightened rhetoric and warnings of possible military action.
Speaking hours after the United States began withdrawing some personnel from an airbase in Qatar, Trump said he had spoken to what he described as “very important sources on the other side”. While he said Washington would closely monitor how the situation develops, he stopped short of ruling out potential US military intervention.
“We are going to watch what the process is,” Trump said, adding that the US administration had received what he described as a “very good statement” from Iran.
Signs of De-escalation, Analysts Say
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera correspondent Mike Hanna said Trump’s remarks suggested a cooling of tensions after days of confrontational language.
He noted that while the president continues to review various options and has been briefed by his national security team, the latest comments indicate Trump may be stepping back from the brink of immediate action.
Sina Toossi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, said Trump’s claims could be interpreted as an attempt to avoid military escalation without appearing to back down.
“This looks like a face-saving way out,” Toossi said, adding that Trump has consistently shown reluctance to become involved in prolonged military conflicts, even as he frequently pairs diplomacy with threats of force.
Regional Tensions Remain High
Despite the softer rhetoric, concerns about a wider regional escalation persist. Earlier on Wednesday, Britain and the United States withdrew some personnel from Al Udeid Air Base, after a senior Iranian official warned neighbouring countries that US bases could be targeted if Washington launched strikes.
Several governments have since issued advisories urging their citizens in the region to remain cautious. US media outlet NewsNation reported that the Pentagon had begun moving an aircraft carrier strike group toward the Middle East, though US officials have not confirmed the report.
Iran Warns It Is Ready to Respond
Iranian officials have said the country is prepared to retaliate in the event of any US intervention. Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Iran was at “the height of readiness” to respond decisively to what he described as enemy miscalculations, accusing both the United States and Israel of fuelling the unrest.
Araghchi, meanwhile, insisted the government was in control following a deadly crackdown on protests that erupted nationwide earlier this month. “After three days of terrorist operations, now there is calm. We are in full control,” he told Fox News.
Protests, Human Rights Concerns Persist
The protests began in December over economic pressures, including a sharp decline in the value of Iran’s currency and rising living costs, before expanding into broader antigovernment demonstrations. Iranian state media has acknowledged a high death toll but has blamed “armed and terrorist groups” for the violence.
Rights organisations dispute official figures. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says it has confirmed the deaths of more than 2,400 protesters, while Amnesty International said it had documented evidence of mass unlawful killings, including against mostly peaceful demonstrators and bystanders. These figures have not been independently verified.
Iran is also experiencing a near-total telecommunications blackout, with monitoring group NetBlocks reporting outages lasting more than 144 hours.
As diplomatic signals fluctuate and tensions remain high, the situation inside Iran — and the risk of a broader confrontation — continues to draw close international attention.