US President Donald Trump has signaled a pullback from threats of military action against Iran after receiving assurances that the killing of protesters had stopped. Trump stated that he had been informed by "very important sources on the other side" that Tehran had ceased using lethal force against anti-government demonstrators and that executions were off the table.
The president's comments came as protests continued to spread across Iran, with estimates suggesting up to 3,428 people have been killed since mid-September. Trump had repeatedly warned that the US would intervene if Iran responded violently to the protesters, but his remarks on Wednesday night suggested that he was backing down from those threats.
Trump acknowledged that the US had yet to verify the claims, adding that there were no plans for further military action. However, analysts have long suspected that Trump's rhetoric and actions on Iran are often designed to deter further repression without actually leading to a strike.
The Iranian government has repeatedly denied any plans for executions, with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stating earlier this week that hanging was "out of the question." The judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, also expressed frustration over the lack of action from Washington, saying Iran would take swift and decisive measures if necessary.
The developments have sent oil prices tumbling by 3% and sparked concerns about possible disruptions to global supplies. Trump's comments also reignited speculation about whether the US could back a potential coup against the Iranian regime.
Despite the pullback on military action, tensions between the two nations remain high, with the US embassy in Kuwait advising staff to exercise caution and avoid military installations, while personnel at a key US military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate.
The president's comments came as protests continued to spread across Iran, with estimates suggesting up to 3,428 people have been killed since mid-September. Trump had repeatedly warned that the US would intervene if Iran responded violently to the protesters, but his remarks on Wednesday night suggested that he was backing down from those threats.
Trump acknowledged that the US had yet to verify the claims, adding that there were no plans for further military action. However, analysts have long suspected that Trump's rhetoric and actions on Iran are often designed to deter further repression without actually leading to a strike.
The Iranian government has repeatedly denied any plans for executions, with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stating earlier this week that hanging was "out of the question." The judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, also expressed frustration over the lack of action from Washington, saying Iran would take swift and decisive measures if necessary.
The developments have sent oil prices tumbling by 3% and sparked concerns about possible disruptions to global supplies. Trump's comments also reignited speculation about whether the US could back a potential coup against the Iranian regime.
Despite the pullback on military action, tensions between the two nations remain high, with the US embassy in Kuwait advising staff to exercise caution and avoid military installations, while personnel at a key US military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate.
... and 3,428 people dead is crazy... can't believe it's come to that 
... oil prices dropping too? that's weird... doesn't seem right to me... and backstabbing each other in Kuwait? not cool 
... anyway, guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next 
. I mean, we've all been watching this situation unfold, and it's just getting more intense every day. The thought of all those innocent people being killed is just heartbreaking 
. It's good to hear that he's been informed by some "very important sources" on the other side that the killings have stopped. Of course, we don't know for sure yet, but at least it sounds like Trump is willing to listen and consider alternative solutions 
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. I mean, we've been hearing about how Iran's economy has been struggling lately, so this could have some big ripple effects. And now there's all this talk of a possible coup against the Iranian regime... it's just too much to handle 
. Still, for now, at least Trump seems to be taking a step back and trying to de-escalate things. Fingers crossed that something positive comes out of this 
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3,428 is crazy! But at the same time, we need to be careful not to send Iran the wrong message, or things could get even worse 
Trump's comments are like, one day this, next day that... it's hard to keep up 
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. The oil price drop is also a big concern - it could have major economic implications.
. It's hard to separate fact from fiction when it comes to this stuff. But for now, I think we're all just holding our breaths and waiting to see what happens next 
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. Where are these "very important sources" he's talking about? We need some concrete evidence before we start taking this at face value 
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. I'm not sure what's more concerning, the threat of military action or the lack thereof... either way, it's clear that tensions are running high 
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. Until then, let's keep a healthy dose of skepticism in our critical thinking 
. And honestly, can we talk about how overrated military intervention is? It's always so messy and unpredictable. Let's focus on diplomacy and finding peaceful solutions instead 
. Plus, think of all the money we'd save if there were no more costly wars 
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. The US should be cautious not to inadvertently embolden the Iranian regime or create a power vacuum that could have disastrous consequences for global security 
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. It's clear that his actions (or lack thereof) are having significant geopolitical implications, but I'm not convinced he's being entirely genuine in his intentions 
. And what about all the warnings Trump gave before? Was it all just for show? 
It's hard to trust someone who keeps saying one thing but doing another 
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. And now oil prices are dropdin' and all this talk about coups? 
. But at the same time, I get why Trump is being cautious – you never know what's gonna happen in a place like that. And let's be real, analysts have been saying he was just trying to scare Iran into not messing with them 
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this is such huge relief!!! i was literally sleeping last night thinking about all the protests going on in iran and hoping that no one gets hurt 
and let's be real, it's a major diplomatic win for us 
i'm not saying he's being super cool or anything, but sometimes it's okay to admit when we're wrong 
3k+ people lost their lives already and that number keeps growing 
we gotta keep pushing for peace and justice everywhere 
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. The Iranian regime will find a way to adapt and retaliate if they feel threatened again