Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denied that Tehran plans to execute antigovernment protestors, contradicting a statement made by US President Donald Trump earlier this week.
According to Araghchi, "hanging is out of the question." The Iranian foreign minister's remarks came after Trump claimed he had received assurances from Iran that killings of protesters had stopped and planned executions were halted.
The US president's comments on Wednesday appeared to signal a softening of his tone towards Iran, with Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna saying "it does appear that he’s still mulling over various options; he’s been briefed by his national security council, but these statements we’ve just heard do indicate a potential cooling down of the situation and President Trump backing away from the precipice of imminent action."
However, experts are skeptical about Trump's claims. Sina Toossi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, described Trump's statement as "a face-saving way" to avoid military intervention, while Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington DC, said Trump is "probably torn" when it comes to deciding what action to take against Iran.
The US has withdrawn some personnel from an airbase in Qatar amid growing fears of a renewed conflict with Iran. Speaking hours after this move, Trump said he would watch how the crisis developed, although he did not rule out potential US military action.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have denied any plans to execute protesters, with Foreign Minister Araghchi saying his government is "in full control" after a deadly crackdown on protests that started in December. The protests began as a response to economic hardship but quickly escalated into widespread antigovernment demonstrations.
Rights groups estimate that thousands of people have been killed in the unrest, including security personnel and protesters. Amnesty International has reviewed evidence showing "mass unlawful killings committed on an unprecedented scale" in Iran over the past week.
The situation remains volatile, with Iran warning it would retaliate if Washington strikes. The country is currently under a near-total telecommunications blackout, which has surpassed 144 hours, according to monitor NetBlocks.
According to Araghchi, "hanging is out of the question." The Iranian foreign minister's remarks came after Trump claimed he had received assurances from Iran that killings of protesters had stopped and planned executions were halted.
The US president's comments on Wednesday appeared to signal a softening of his tone towards Iran, with Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna saying "it does appear that he’s still mulling over various options; he’s been briefed by his national security council, but these statements we’ve just heard do indicate a potential cooling down of the situation and President Trump backing away from the precipice of imminent action."
However, experts are skeptical about Trump's claims. Sina Toossi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, described Trump's statement as "a face-saving way" to avoid military intervention, while Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington DC, said Trump is "probably torn" when it comes to deciding what action to take against Iran.
The US has withdrawn some personnel from an airbase in Qatar amid growing fears of a renewed conflict with Iran. Speaking hours after this move, Trump said he would watch how the crisis developed, although he did not rule out potential US military action.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have denied any plans to execute protesters, with Foreign Minister Araghchi saying his government is "in full control" after a deadly crackdown on protests that started in December. The protests began as a response to economic hardship but quickly escalated into widespread antigovernment demonstrations.
Rights groups estimate that thousands of people have been killed in the unrest, including security personnel and protesters. Amnesty International has reviewed evidence showing "mass unlawful killings committed on an unprecedented scale" in Iran over the past week.
The situation remains volatile, with Iran warning it would retaliate if Washington strikes. The country is currently under a near-total telecommunications blackout, which has surpassed 144 hours, according to monitor NetBlocks.
"The die has been cast" - Mark Twain 
This whole situation with Iran and the US is like a chess match where everyone's playing their next move. The thing is, it's hard to trust what either side is saying right now because both sides have different agendas. Trump thinks he's backing away from a fight but others see this as just him trying to save face. Meanwhile, the Iranians are denying everything while still keeping us all in the dark about what's really going on there...
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. It's gonna be hard for them to convince us that everything is okay when thousands of people have lost their lives in protests.
. We need to be careful here; this situation is still on the verge of escalating into a full-blown crisis 
I'm really worried about what's happening in Iran right now. Thousands of people are already dead and the situation is super tense. I don't think Trump's words mean much since experts say he's just trying to save face 
. The fact that Iranian authorities are denying any plans for executions doesn't make it any better, you know? It feels like they're saying one thing but doing another... it's really scary 
. And on top of all this, the US is withdrawing personnel from an airbase in Qatar 
. The situation just keeps getting more and more volatile by the minute 
. I just hope everyone involved can stay safe and find a peaceful way forward 
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. The fact that thousands are estimated to have died is just horrific, and it sounds like the government is trying to cover up what's really happening 
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. It's heartbreaking to think about the trauma and pain they must be going through 
. And now, with Trump saying he might watch how it develops, I'm just worried that someone could get hurt again 
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I know it's not always easy, but sometimes I feel like the only way to resolve conflicts is through peaceful dialogue and understanding 
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. And can we talk about how ridiculous it is that there's a near-total telecommunications blackout? Like, come on, isn't this what the internet is for?! 
. And what's with all these experts saying that he's "probably torn" about what to do? Like, dude needs to make a decision already! 
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