President Donald Trump said he has been told that killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests are easing and that he believes there is no current plan for large-scale executions, signaling a more cautious, wait-and-see stance after earlier threats of intervention.
The Trump Iran protests crisis has also driven new warnings and denials from Tehran, shifting U.S. messaging, and disruptions to air travel as Iran briefly closed its airspace, forcing international flights to divert before traffic began to resume.
Trump cites “assurances” as stance softens
Trump said he had been told the violence tied to the crackdown was subsiding and suggested the risk of mass executions was not imminent, while also saying the United States would “observe what the process is,” leaving open the possibility of U.S. military involvement.
Trump later reacted to reports that an Iranian protester would not be sentenced to death, calling it “good news” and expressing hope that the trend continues.
In comments also reported by a Florida TV station, Trump said he had been told that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, though he did not provide many details.
Tehran denies plans for hangings
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said there is “no plan” for executions when asked about the protests, including telling Fox News that “there is no plan for hanging at all,” and described executions as “out of the question.”
DW likewise reported that Tehran denied any intention to carry out hangings, even as tensions remained high and international concerns continued.
Case in Karaj draws attention
Iranian state media reported that a 26-year-old man arrested during protests in the city of Karaj would not receive a death sentence, after the rights organization Hengaw had earlier said he was due to be executed.
That reversal became a focal point for the international narrative around whether Iran’s response to the protests is hardening or easing, even as U.S. officials continued to monitor developments closely.
White House claim of halted executions
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been told that “800 executions” planned for the previous day “were stopped,” a claim highlighted in DW’s rolling coverage.
DW also reported that Iran’s Justice Ministry had announced that trials and executions of protesters would be sped up, but later retracted that statement the same day.
Airspace closures add to regional tension
Iran briefly closed its airspace, which disrupted international flight routes and forced aircraft to divert around the country before flights began resuming.
Local10 reported that Iran shut its airspace to commercial flights early Thursday for several hours without explanation, with a notice to pilots estimating the closure would end at 7:30 a.m., while FlightRadar24 showed aircraft routing around Iran from the north and south.
Diplomatic and security pressure builds
The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on the protests after a request from the United States, as the situation drew increasing international focus.
DW reported that the United States imposed sanctions on Iranian security officials over what it described as a violent crackdown on protests, including the secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of National Security and officials tied to the Revolutionary Guard and law enforcement.
At the same time, DW reported that Trump was advised by U.S. officials that a military strike on Iran would be unlikely to bring down the regime and could widen into a broader conflict, contributing to the administration’s decision to hold off on immediate strikes.
