Trump says executions in Iran have stopped

U.S. President Donald Trump said killings and planned executions in Iran have stopped, a day after he warned of military action if protesters were hanged.

Speaking during a signing ceremony at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he had been informed that Iranian authorities would not carry out executions that were expected to take place, adding that the information had “just gotten to me” and that he hoped it was accurate.

“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping,” Trump said. “There is no plan for executions.”

He said he had been told by what he described as highly credible sources in Iran that the killings had stopped and that planned executions would not occur.

Trump said there had been expectations of “a lot of executions today,” but claimed those would not happen. He cautioned that the situation remained fluid, saying, “We’ll find out about it,” and warned he would be “very upset” if executions do occur.

Asked whether the development meant military action against Iran was off the table, Trump said the administration would continue to monitor the situation.

“We’re going to watch and see what the process is,” he said, adding that the information came from people “that are aware of what’s going on.”

The comments come days after Trump said the administration was reviewing military options following reports of protesters being killed during unrest in Iran. On Sunday, he told reporters that the U.S. military was examining “very strong options” amid reports of deaths linked to the demonstrations.

In an interview aired Tuesday night, Trump warned Iranian authorities against hanging anti-government protesters, saying the United States would respond forcefully if executions were carried out. “We will take very strong action,” he said.

Trump also posted a message on social media yesterday telling protesters to continue demonstrating and saying he had canceled meetings with Iranian officials until the “senseless killing of protesters” stops.

Protests in Iran began in late December and have intensified in recent weeks, with large demonstrations reported in multiple cities, including Tehran. Witnesses contacted by media outlets have reported thousands of deaths during a crackdown by Iranian security forces.