Iranian officials signaled that rapid trials and executions could be coming for people detained in nationwide protests, as activists outside Iran reported a sharply rising death toll. The warnings came as President Donald Trump issued public threats of “very strong action” if executions go forward and later said he had been told Iran’s execution plans had stopped.
At the same time, Iran temporarily closed most of its airspace, forcing airlines to reroute flights across the region and adding to wider disruption as tensions rose between Tehran and Washington. Information from inside Iran has also been constrained by a communications blackout that cut off the country from the internet and limited international calling.
Judge signals speedy trials and executions
Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, said the government should move quickly with trials and executions, arguing that delays would reduce the impact. In a video shared by Iranian state television online, he said, “If we want to do a job, we should do it now… If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly.”
Those comments were reported as protests continued nationwide and as Trump’s administration weighed its response to Iran’s crackdown. Trump had warned that the U.S. would take “very strong action” if executions take place, and he also said he would halt any negotiations if Iran proceeds with executions.
Death toll claims and communications blackout
A U.S.-based group, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), reported that the death toll had reached at least 2,571 by early Wednesday. HRANA’s figure was described as surpassing death tolls from other episodes of unrest in Iran in recent decades.
Details about the crackdown began to emerge more clearly after people inside Iran were able to reach contacts abroad for the first time in days, following a nationwide cutoff of communications at the start of the protests. Iranian authorities cut the country off from the internet and international telephone calls on Jan. 8, according to reporting carried by the Associated Press.
The AP report said Iran began allowing people to place international calls on Tuesday via mobile phones, while inbound calls from outside Iran into the country remained blocked. Activists also said Starlink was offering free service in Iran, and the AP report described satellite internet as a tool used to get around the shutdown.
Trump’s shifting public message
Trump’s warnings about executions were a central point of friction as news about the crackdown spread beyond Iran. In one set of remarks, Trump told Iranian protesters that “help is on the way,” and said his administration would “act accordingly” in response to Iran’s deadly crackdown.
Later, Trump told reporters he had been told that plans for executions in Iran had stopped, though he did not provide many details. CNBC also reported that Trump appeared to soften his posture, saying in a White House address on Wednesday evening that he had been informed violence against protesters had ceased and that he would “monitor the situation” regarding possible U.S. military involvement.
Airspace closure jolts airlines
As the political crisis escalated, Iran shut its airspace to commercial flights for several hours without explanation, according to an AP account also carried by Local 10. That report said a notice to pilots estimated the closure would end at 7:30 a.m., and flight-tracking data showed aircraft flying around Iran from both the north and the south.
CNBC reported that Iran temporarily suspended most of its airspace late Wednesday, affecting most incoming and outgoing flights and prompting airlines to reroute. The report cited a Federal Aviation Administration notification that set an initial time window for the restriction and said it was later extended.
CNBC also reported that the restriction allowed international flights to and from Tehran if they received prior approval from Iran’s civil aviation authority. By Thursday morning U.S. time, FlightRadar data cited by CNBC showed aircraft navigating around Iranian airspace.
The fallout extended beyond Iran’s borders, as airlines adjusted routes and schedules to avoid the area. CNBC reported that IndiGo said some international services would be affected by the closure of Iranian airspace, and that the Lufthansa Group said it would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice, resulting in cancellations.
CNBC also reported that the U.S. had banned all American commercial flights from flying over Iran and that several airlines—including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines—had canceled numerous flights to Iran in the past week. The reports tied the disruption to heightened tensions after Trump warned of possible intervention following a violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations.
Regional security tension grows
Iran coupled its internal crackdown with warnings that it would retaliate if the U.S. or Israel intervened, according to the AP report carried by Local 10. The same report said some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate as officials watched for signs of escalation.
CNBC reported that the United States began withdrawing some personnel from military installations in the Middle East after Iranian threats to target American bases if the U.S. attacks. The AP report also described a mass funeral for about 100 security force members killed in the demonstrations, with tens of thousands of mourners attending and caskets stacked in rows and draped in Iranian flags.
